Is it possible to create snippets with blanks to fill?

This forum is for all Flare related Tips and Tricks.
Have a tip or trick you use while working in Flare? Share it here.
Post Reply
rost
Jr. Propeller Head
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:57 am

Is it possible to create snippets with blanks to fill?

Post by rost »

Hey madcap forum people,

please excuse a somewhat loose question from a Flare newbie. I hope you can help.

Is there a way to create snippets with blanks to fill in manually?
My use case is the following: I will reuse the following three phrases a lot, with changing details:

→ The application lands in the inbox of _ _ _.
→ In the index data of the application, the status changes to _ _ _.
→ Read about the further process under _ _ _.

It would be extremely convenient to have all three phrases in a snippet, where I could just manually fill in the blanks.

To my current understanding, there are two ways to solve the task, but both have their disadvantages:

1. Just create a snippet for the beginning of each sentence and end it manually. Unfortunately, I`ll also have cases where the blanks are in the middle of the sentence. The solution would thus not work in every case.
2. Create a condition for each fill-in. Unfortunately, I would have to create a lot of conditions and to my current understanding, it would be quite hard to maintain the documentation in the end. Therefore, I would prefer a solution where I can just manually type fill-in text within a topic.

I hope the question makes sense.
Feebeegeebee
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 213
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2012 8:38 am
Location: UK

Re: Is it possible to create snippets with blanks to fill?

Post by Feebeegeebee »

Hi Rost,
Would variables (https://help.madcapsoftware.com/flare20 ... iables.htm) be more suitable if you are using the same phrases a lot?
Then, if you have autosuggestion enabled (https://help.madcapsoftware.com/flare20 ... estion.htm), as you type, the relevant variable should pop up, ready for you to select.
Regards,
Feebeegeebee
-----------------------------------------------------
Using Flare 2022 on Windows 11 (64-bit)
-----------------------------------------------------
ChoccieMuffin
Senior Propellus Maximus
Posts: 2630
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 8:01 am
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Is it possible to create snippets with blanks to fill?

Post by ChoccieMuffin »

If variables don't do it for you, you could create your snippet to contain your blank text:

"→ The application lands in the inbox of
→ In the index data of the application, the status changes to
→ Read about the further process under "

Whenever you need it, insert the snippet, right-click the snippet and on the menu click "Convert to text", then add the bits you need to add. The disadvantage is that you don't maintain a link to the snippet so if you want to change that text you have to search for it like ordinary text, but that might do the trick for you. (I sometimes use that trick for a standard table that I want to insert -- the snippet contains the table with all the assorted properties that I'm going to want and it's quicker to convert a snippet than to insert a table and change its properties every time.)
Started as a newbie with Flare 6.1, now using Flare 2023.
Report bugs at http://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx.
Request features at https://www.madcapsoftware.com/feedback ... quest.aspx
Reset
Jr. Propeller Head
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu May 13, 2021 1:15 am

Re: Is it possible to create snippets with blanks to fill?

Post by Reset »

Hi

I solve this problem by using snippets in combination with variables. For example:

"Description of the <Entity>"

Where <Entity> is a variable and "Description of the " is the ordinary text in the snippet.

When I add the snippet to a topic, I set the variable value as required for that snippet. I have a special set of snippet-level variables maintained in a separate snippet file to remind me that the values of those variables are not supposed to be consistent across the project.

I have also created a variable for the indefinite article (a or an), to handle sentences where my standard text has a or an before the noun that the main variable represents.


Regards

Caroline
ChoccieMuffin
Senior Propellus Maximus
Posts: 2630
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 8:01 am
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Is it possible to create snippets with blanks to fill?

Post by ChoccieMuffin »

Ah yes, snippet variables! A much more elegant solution than mine.
Started as a newbie with Flare 6.1, now using Flare 2023.
Report bugs at http://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx.
Request features at https://www.madcapsoftware.com/feedback ... quest.aspx
Post Reply