Cross-References Text Dropped?

I'm having a problem with cross-references exporting to XML. I'm using Frame 8, and I have associated an element as a FrameMaker "cross-reference". I then go to insert that element and everything seems to work properly (no errors). But then, I open the XML and get something like the following: <l2item><para>Approval for Return to Service Procedures. See <refint refloc = "RSM0420" reftype = "Heading & Page"/>.</para></l2item> So, it drops the text of the link and replaces it with a "." and then also does not close out the tag "</refint>". Any ideas of what is going on? Thanks!

Hi Lynnca,
The text of a cross-reference is a property of the FrameMaker xref object that is expected to be autogenerated, so it is not included in the markup. The XML version of an xref is similar to the internal FrameMaker model, where you insert an xref an the text is automatically created and controlled internally. An xref saves as an empty element with information about how to find the source and regenerate the text, but no indication of what text was originally displaying when you exported the markup.
Properly configured, the xref text will autogenerate when you reimport to Frame, so the empty element is OK there. If you are using the XML with some non-Frame post-process, that process will need to accommodate this convention for representing xref links.
Note that the refint tag is actually closed, as indicated by the trailing slash just before the final angle bracket. This is a shortcut for representing elements with no content.
Russ

Similar Messages

How do I preserve cross reference text when exporting to XML?

I am exporting my Framemaker documents to XML. However, when I open the raw XML, the reference formatting is obviously gone. So instead of seeing, say, see Figure 6. I now see, see .
Is there some way to preserve this on export?
Help would be much appreceated!

Josh,
The normal behavior is to have an empty element with the ID/IDRef markup that allows the xref element to be resolved again afterwards, by whatever post-processing step you put the XML through. The text of a cross-reference is a FrameMaker formatting artifact (not unlike a paragraph format, etc.) and is intentionally discarded during export. If you reimport the XML with the empty element, FM will re-resolve the xref, and then will restore the text using whatever format it originally had (the format name is also stored as markup).
If you want to preserve the element tag of the xref, I don't think there is any way to preserve the text, unless you write an import/export API client. You could possibly use an XSLT stylesheet to repopulate the text in some cases, but this seems like a process fraught with many complications.
If you do not care about the element tag, the manual says that you can just unwrap it, then you'll get the xref text. Here is a (rough) snip from the Structure Developers Guide:
Translating FrameMaker cross-reference elements to text in markup
You may not want your FrameMaker cross-reference elements to remain elements in the
markup representation—you can choose to translate them to text instead. To do so, use
this rule:
fm element "fmtag" unwrap;
where fmtag is the FrameMaker element tag for a cross-reference element.
All of this does beg the following question, though... why do you want to do this, especially if the text is referencing figure numbers, page numbers, etc. that have no relevance in the markup? Normally, it is expected that preservation of the markup is the essential thing, allowing the text to be regenerated later by whatever process uses the XML (perhaps including FM). If you drop the element tag, the actual link will be permanently lost.
Russ

Why is a single Cross Reference text turning red after doing an Update?

After updating a large book in FrameMaker10, the same cross-reference made in a couple of chapters is turning to red text. It is set as Heading 2. I tried to deleted the heading and re-typing it. I tried to change the style to Body and back to Heading 2 but all references to it are turning to red text after I update the book. Any idea what is wrong and how do I fix it? I am using unstructured version. See image.

Apply a Character Format of Default ¶ Font. Then re-apply the desired Paragraph Format. If the red goes away, it was either a Character Format that had been applied or a local color override. If the red is still there ...
Look at the Special > Cross-Reference > Format > Definition itself. Look for any <character-format-name> and see if any of those have a red Color defined in their Format > Character > Designer. If so, remove that building block from the definition [Change] [Done] [Replace].

Cross reference text anchor source in Word doc

I'm trying to figure out a way to automatically generate page numbers for a list of courses at the back of a course catalog. The listing is not arranged alphabetically or in the order the courses appear in the catalog, and (right now) the listing is a table. Because of this, I don't think a TOC or Index would work.
Cross references seem to work, but they're just as much work as turning pages, finding each entry, and typing it into the list. What I'd really like is to be able to use cross-references to text anchors, but have the anchors inserted in Word, before it goes into Indesign. Many of the courses repeat from one catalog to the next. The editor who creates the Word file does so by pasting each course with its description into one big Word file. If the text anchor were in each course to begin with, it would end up in Indesign and I would only have to reference it to generate a page number.
It seems that Word's Bookmarks come into Indesign as text anchors, but not with their original names. The first bookmark, regardless of its name in Word, comes in named "Anchor". The next one comes in named "Anchor 5" or something like that. I want them to come in with course numbers or some other unique identifier. "Anchor 5" doesn't really tell me anything.
Any ideas?
Ken Benson

Kenneth Benson wrote:
I'm trying to figure out a way to automatically generate page numbers for a list of courses at the back of a course catalog. The listing is not arranged alphabetically or in the order the courses appear in the catalog, and (right now) the listing is a table. Because of this, I don't think a TOC or Index would work.
Cross references seem to work, but they're just as much work as turning pages, finding each entry, and typing it into the list. What I'd really like is to be able to use cross-references to text anchors, but have the anchors inserted in Word, before it goes into Indesign. Many of the courses repeat from one catalog to the next. The editor who creates the Word file does so by pasting each course with its description into one big Word file. If the text anchor were in each course to begin with, it would end up in Indesign and I would only have to reference it to generate a page number.
It seems that Word's Bookmarks come into Indesign as text anchors, but not with their original names. The first bookmark, regardless of its name in Word, comes in named "Anchor". The next one comes in named "Anchor 5" or something like that. I want them to come in with course numbers or some other unique identifier. "Anchor 5" doesn't really tell me anything.
Any ideas?
Ken Benson
Hi, Ken:
IIRC, Word's cross-references are preserved in InDesign. Have you tried it?
HTH
Regards,
Peter
Peter Gold
KnowHow ProServices

Text cross references

Is there a way to use the text that I've selected as the cross-reference text? The text that I've selected does not match the text in the cross-reference header. I've also tried to create a marker with the desired text, but do not know how to use the marker text in the cross reference.
I am trying to insert a cross reference to a table. The table heading is Assigned to.User Fields. However, when the users select an option from a drop-down list, the option displays as Assigned to-->User fields, and that is the text I want to use in my cross reference.

Cindy,
If the table heading is quoting the user interface it should match the user interface exactly. If the table title is not formally quoting the user interface you should not try to force it to do so. I am aware this is not the technical answer you were looking for.
The solution to your request is »Hypertext link«. The process is described in the online help in a topic titled Create hypertext links.
- Michael

Cross-reference tag errors in Trados preventing MIF creation

Our Spanish translator provides files from translation memory with unresolved cross-reference text in English; when we update the book the cross-references are translated to Spanish and the page numbers are also updated within the cross-reference text. After our DTP process, when we return the files to the translator to update the translation memory, he gets a misalignment in the tags and Trados prevents him from creating a MIF file. Trados won't let him ignore the cross-references. We're using unstructured FrameMaker 2009 and he has Trados 2007. We're in the midst of a deadline for a project due next week and he wants to charge us an enormous fee to fix the tags manually. Can anyone suggest a solution the translator can use? I'm a newbie forum user, but I checked the FAQ and did not see anything. Thanks! Sue

As far as I know, FM cross-references (which came into Trados via MIF and S-Tagger) are handled as placeables. I suppose the mismatches stem from a "placeables differences penalty", which by default is 2%, even for otherwise exact matches.
A possible solution could be to impose no penalties for placeables in Trados, i.e. set the placeables differences penalty to 0%. But be careful, this may overshoot the mark, as there might be relevant differences in placeables that must be reviewed. I'm not aware of a setting in Trados where you could specify this more selectively.
Johannes

Cross Reference Source text options

Creating a Cross Reference linking to a Paragraph. In the paragraph where the cross-reference source is inserted, may the cross-reference link be applied to existing text in that paragraph so that the cross-reference destination text does not appear? Text anchors can be created to accomplish this, but that is an extra step (I can create a cross reference linking to a paragraph all in one dialog box). Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Hi, Seir:
I agree that it's confusing. Here's how I do it:
To create a text anchor at the insertion point location:
* Open the Hyperlinks/Cross-References panel's menu (also called "flyout menu." It's the small icon at the upper-right of the panel, below the double-arrow (>>) icon that collapses the panel.
* Choose New Hyperlink Destination. THIS SHOULD BE NAMED NEW TEXT ANCHOR!!!
* Choose Type: Text Anchor
* Name the anchor as you like Click OK.
To create a cross-reference to a text anchor:
* Place the insertion point where you want it.
* Click the Create new Cross-Reference button on the bottom of the Hyperlinks/Cross-Reference panel.
* Choose Link To: Text Anchor
* Choose the target document
* Choose the text anchor
* Choose the Cross-Reference format
* Choose Appearance properties
* Click OK
I'm not sure what could cause the straight/curly quotes problem other than perhaps the font doesn't have curly quotes. Have you tried other fonts?
HTH
Regards,
Peter Gold
KnowHow ProServices

InDesign Tagged Text for Cross-reference Entries

I'm transforming XML to InDesign Tagged Text. The XML has index codes. For regular page entry type entries I'm having no problem outputting to the appropriate InDesign Tagged Text markup. However, I cannot figure out how to code cross-reference type entries. The document "Using Adobe InDesign Tagged Text CS5 Tagged Text" is extremely limited in its usefulness as it does not list all possible values for tag type tags, etc. I've tried dozens of tag combos and guesses at values. None have worked. Also, for some reason, even though I can create a "See x" type reference in the InDesign document, when I export to InDesign Tagged Text to look at the code, those tags are not included in the export.
Does anyone have a more definitive list of possible IDTT index tag values?

I have been exporting various things to IDTT to see what the result would be, with nothing really helpful as a result. I'll try hyperlinks, but reading of the Adobe guide to InDesign Tagged Text and also just looking at the InDesign scripting object model leads me to believe that there must be specific tags to create index-specific cross-reference tags.

Cross references not picking up character styles in source text

I'm getting some annoying odd behaviour with cross references in Frame 12.
I have some tables, where the paragraph style in the cell is called "Cell Body" (nothing odd there).
Quite a few of the cells only have one word in them, and that word is set to courier font with a character style (called "Code").
Then, elsewhere in the document, I am referring to this text using cross references. I am referencing the paragraph style Cell Body, and the cross reference format applied is like this "<hyperlink><$paratext><Default ¶ Font>"
"hyperlink" is another character style that makes the text go green.
So, the cross reference out to take the text from the cell (in Courier) and reproduce it, coloured green.
However for about half of these cross references, it isn't picking up the Code character style in the source text, so the cross ref is just green, no green courier.
Things are further bamboozled when I output to HTML Help.
In the CHM file, the cross refs which appear to work OK (green courier) are now just courier.
The ones which failed to pick up the courier look the same as they do in Frame (just green).
Any ideas as to what's going on?
I've tried troubleshooting by clearing the cells, reapplying the para style and default character style, then reapplying the code character style, then replacing the cross reference - which sometimes seemed to fix it but didn't always.

Arnis Gubins wrote:
Using two character tags in-line together (a la <hyperlink><Code>) is asking for trouble. IIRC, FM doesn't re-apply these in order on an update and depending upon how they are defined (and what is set to AsIs), the outer one usually wins. .
So why does the blimmin' dialog invite me to do precisely that, by providing me with a list of all the character styles I have, and allowing me to select as many of them as I like??? /sulks/ Indeed, if Frame still shipped with a printed user guide instead of stupid "optimised for viewing on iPhones" online webhelp nonsense, I suspect I might very well be able to find an example in the manual of using multiple character styles in that dialog! If it doesn't want you to use more than one, why doesn't it grey out after you add the first one? /sighs/ The concept is called "cascading styles", it's a fundamental web paradigm! And it works in the main body text - why not in Xrefs!
Also, I have been very scrupulous to keep my character styles orthogonal so none of their AsIs's mash each other up.
But, rant over, I shall follow your splendid suggestion for a "Code Hyperlink" style.
Arnis Gubins wrote:
Also, x-ref formatting may behave differently in the new Publishing modules depending upon ....
...Depending on how badly designed and buggy this new Frame12 feature is, I should say! The Publish module should not randomly stop behaving in a WYSIWIG manner in completely undocumented fashion just because Adobe couldn't be bothered to code it properly. /sighs/
Frankly, for my current project, I've given up trying to jump through hoops for Publish - I'm concentrating on getting the Frame source right and assuming these quirks will be fixed in Frame 13 (or 14, depending on how superstitious they are). Because if I put in ad hoc workarounds for them in Frame 12, I (or a colleague) will only have to undo them later when they're fixed, and by then we'll all have forgotten what the original problem was.

Text Insets and Cross Reference Links

When I use text insets to produce a host file from my source file, I have cross reference links that update OK. However, once I produce a PDF of the host file (text inset), my links do not work. I do not even get the little hand icon to indicate they are links. I am producing my PDFs using File/Save As PDF and the first checkbox on the Links tab is checked. Is this a problem using text insets?

Unfortunately, that's the way insets work in FM. Cross-refs within an inset do not automatically become active. If you convert the inset to text, then the links are made. I believe that Rick Quatro wrote a Framescript to handle this in an automated way.
The manual way to do this, is to make a copy of the book - using Bruce Foster's Archive utility is the way to go: see http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.foster/Archive.htm
Then use the Edit > Text Inset Properties > Convert... > All insets to embed the insets into the documents (you have to do this on a file by file basis); regenerate/update the book file and only then create your output.

Cross reference markers are deleted for content in text insets

Cross reference markers are deleted for content text insets. I currently have a chapter that is built from several Import by Reference files. I added an introductory paragraph with cross reference links to heading 2 titles in these text insets. Everything works and saves normally, although the cross reference markers disappear from the chapter when files are checked out a few days later. An extra Heading 2 is also added to the end of the document.
Steps to reproduce:
1. Create a chapter composed of several text insets.
2. Create a list of cross references to headings in these text insets at the beginning of the chapter.
3. Check in/check out the files from a source control product.
What went wrong?:
The cross reference markers are gone, resulting in broken cross references. An empty Heading 2 is also added to the end of the document following the final text inset
What should have happened?:
The markers should remain and the heading 2 tag should not be applied to the document.
Product version:
Product: FrameMaker
Version: 7.2
Platform information:Windows XP
Hardware: Dell Latitude D620
OS Version: Windows XP Professional Version 2002, Service Pack 3.
RAM: 1GB

Thanks for the information, Van. We did try several techniques including adding the insertion point immediately after the text inset before the normal paragraph tag, but none seemed to consistently work. I will investigate this scenario futher, though, in light of your comments.
We have managed to determine a workaround for this issue by avoiding a string of text insets. For some reason, using multiple text insets without separating them with normal text causes most of the problems after we add the files to our source control system. The situaton is not ideal, but it does work for the time being anyway.
Steve

Text-inset cross-reference PDF bug ever fixed?

We're using FrameMaker 8.0 and Acrobat 8.1.
Has Adobe ever fixed the bug where cross-references in text insets aren't converted to valid links in PDFs? In other words, do we still need to work around that bug by using newlink / gotolink hypertext markers in text insets?

Robert:
As far as I can tell, FM8 still exhibits the undesirable behavior...
Cheers & hope this helps,
Riley

How do I cross reference to text (as in a reference citation)

I am using Frame 7.0. I want to create a cross reference to text (not a heading). For example, I have a citation such as (Smith, 1980) and I want to link that to the following:
H. Smith, 1980 "Have a good day" Martin Press, pgs. 46
I only want Smith, 1980 to appear as the link, not the entire description.
Thanks.

Another option is storing the custom text version in a paragraph autonumber that is entirely hidden, and use a cross-reference format that retrieves that autonumber only. The custom "autonumber" will be paragraph override (or otherwise you will have to define a unique paragraph tag for each source citation).
Shlomo Perets
MicroType, http://www.microtype.com
FrameMaker/TCS training & consulting * FM-to-Acrobat TimeSavers/Assistants
"Improve your FrameMaker Skills" web-based training sessions

Convert Cross-Reference to Text

Does anybody have a script that will convert cross-references to text? In other words, I want to be able to remove the linkage of the cross-reference but keep the static text in place.
Editorial comment: I set up on my local computer several books in CS6 and used cross-references, and everything worked fine. Then I moved the files to a network location and started suffering that painful slowdown that I had experienced in previous versions of InDesign. (I foolishly believed Adobe would have fixed this by now. My mistake.)

I'm guessing that the op want to convert the cross-references that you set in the Hyperlinks panel. Try this:
var xrefs = app.documents[0].crossReferenceSources.everyItem().getElements();
for (var i = xrefs.length-1; i > -1; i--){
xrefs[i].sourceText.insertionPoints[-1].contents = xrefs[i].sourceText.contents;
xrefs[i].remove();
Peter

Cross-Reference using Text Anchor problems

I am having problems with creating "New Cross-Reference" using a "Text Anchor" in CS4 Indesign.
I can mimic what I want using a "Link to Paragraph", selecting the paragraph style and link, and then using the "Partial paragraph and Page Number" options.
I would prefer doing this using a Text Anchor.
I've tried creating a text hyperlink, but in whatever I am doing, I never get any "Text Anchor" OPTIONS in the New Cross-Reference menu.
Adobe should also change the Text Anchor menu item, since there are "Text Anchor" options in InDesign that appear to have nothing to do with Cross-Referencing.
The other problem I am having is that in defining the open-quote and closed-quotes around the Paragraph Text variable, I wish to have typesetter's quotes instead of the default vertical quotes. If I use the Splat button to choose ^{^} options, then I get funky "G"'s in my reference instead of typesetters quotes -- even if I choose a "Character Sytle for Cross Reference" and force it to my current font choice. What's going on here?
SC

Hi, Seir:
I agree that it's confusing. Here's how I do it:
To create a text anchor at the insertion point location:
* Open the Hyperlinks/Cross-References panel's menu (also called "flyout menu." It's the small icon at the upper-right of the panel, below the double-arrow (>>) icon that collapses the panel.
* Choose New Hyperlink Destination. THIS SHOULD BE NAMED NEW TEXT ANCHOR!!!
* Choose Type: Text Anchor
* Name the anchor as you like Click OK.
To create a cross-reference to a text anchor:
* Place the insertion point where you want it.
* Click the Create new Cross-Reference button on the bottom of the Hyperlinks/Cross-Reference panel.
* Choose Link To: Text Anchor
* Choose the target document
* Choose the text anchor
* Choose the Cross-Reference format
* Choose Appearance properties
* Click OK
I'm not sure what could cause the straight/curly quotes problem other than perhaps the font doesn't have curly quotes. Have you tried other fonts?
HTH
Regards,
Peter Gold
KnowHow ProServices

Cross-References Text Dropped?

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