Structured Books and TOCs (attributes)

dear all,

 

i working on user manuals in structured framemaker environment, creating books.

 

in each document, working top-level element called mainchapter , assign attributes specify product, version number , language of user manual. these attributes used in variables in running footer display said information.

 

when generate toc book, there no element called mainchapter (as unstructured fm file). therefore, understand values of attributes assigned in other documents not available , not displayed.

 

is there way somehow implement information in toc file? or have manually update every time toc generated?

 

some appreciated.

typically, book can structured document contains book root element contains elements corresponding root elements in each of documents in book. unstructured content (text) can wrapped in special toc element. toc element becomes element within book's root element. toc element can have attributes itself, other mainchapter elements do.

 

instead of above, can put attributes in book's root element seen chapters, toc element, in book. allows set them in 1 place, rather in each chapter.

 

if book file not have structure, can wrap unstructured content of toc mainchapter element (if mainchapter element allows text alone) , set attributes in mainchapter element. each time update book may have rewrap toc's unstructured content. worked @ company years ago used approach; updating book did not replace previous unstructured content updated content. found workaround delete previous content toc element before updating book.

 

in current work, edd has tableofcontents element can contain text. unstructured toc file in book placed @ end of book file. open table of contents file (the 1 containing tableofcontents element) , import unstructured toc file tableofcontents element reference (the unstructured toc file becomes text inset inside tableofcontents element). avoids having delete content of tableofcontents element before updating book; however, have update book twice, once update unstructured toc content , once update text inset of tableofcontents element. may sound complicated, works.

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