Using Cross-references in contributor

This Forum for all general issues about Contributor
Post Reply
jkpalmer
Propeller Head
Posts: 71
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2015 9:53 am
Location: Chicago Area

Using Cross-references in contributor

Post by jkpalmer »

Let's say I am a contributor that wants to have a new topic added to a project.

So I create a new topic in Contributor but then realize that within my new topic, I want to create a cross reference to an existing topic within the project.

What do I need have to have in order for me to be able to properly create that cross-reference?

I know how to do it in Flare, but I'm attempting to lay out some procedures for this to happen when a new topic is added by a contributor.

Am I missing something very basic or do I have to have the topic that I want to cross-reference to as part of my contribution "set".

Help greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Jim P.
doc_guy
Propellus Maximus
Posts: 1979
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:18 am
Location: Crossroads of the West
Contact:

Re: Using Cross-references in contributor

Post by doc_guy »

I don't think you can do that very easily in Contributor. I have recently migrated computers, and I need to get my license key to Contributor reset, so I can't log in and check it out for you right at the moment, but since Contributor is not aware of the overall Flare project (nor does it likely have access to it anyway), there is no way to do that (that I'm aware of).
Paul Pehrson
My Blog

Image
dotela
Jr. Propeller Head
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2014 6:31 am

Re: Using Cross-references in contributor

Post by dotela »

You need to have a review package that contains the topics you want to cross-reference. The solution that I've used has been to create the new file in Flare and send a review package to someone using Contributor. If you know the format of a cross-reference and where the new file will be in comparison to the file you want to cross-reference (and you're comfortable in the text editor), you could theoretically create the cross-reference "manually" in the text editor in a new Contributor file.
crownjulesb
Propeller Head
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 1:31 am
Location: Watford, UK

Re: Using Cross-references in contributor

Post by crownjulesb »

This seems unnecessarily complicated to create a cross reference in Contributor. I have some edits that need to be made to references within a review package, but the cross reference popup window only allows you choose locations within the current topic, despite the topic that I want to reference does exist within the current review package.

We have to do 99% of our edits in Contributor becuase our compliance team insists on seeing ALL of the tracked changes - which disappear when you merge the contributions in to the Flare project. Without me having to go in and change the text link - and remember exactly the xref class terminology (which doesn't seem to have been remembered in the "working" contributor file), the topic file path, and the bookmark name.. when you can do it in two clicks in Flare.

It also means that the contributors can't make these reference additions themselves... which they would otherwise be quite capable of doing.

It all seems to create additional work, instead of improve efficiency. Which is not what we want from a piece of software.
Post Reply