On the fly definition of variables as part of target building

[henkjans]

Hello,
Is there a possibility for Flare to "ask" for variable definition the first thing just after the target building has started?
For example:

1. I start a PDF target building.
2. The first thing Flare must do is, asking me to define the variable "Main voltage".
3. I enter "115 VAC", for example.
4. The next thing Flare must do is, asking me to define the variable "Frequency".
5. I enter "60 Hz", for example.
6. Flare proceeds building the PDF target using the just set variables.

It would help me so much in building various PDF manuals.

[ChoccieMuffin]

Can't think of any way to do that, but how many different versions of the manual do you need to build? Could you have three or four targets with those variables set, so you don't have to think about setting them each time? It might be a bit too much of a pain if you have more than two different values for two different variables, but if it works, you could have targets like this, where the setting is saved in the target name so you know which one is which:
1: Target_115_60
2: Target_240_60
3: Target_115_50
4: Target_240_50

Or have some kind of reminder in your process to set those variables and set them before you build the PDF.

[robdocsmith]

Nothing within Flare. If you've only a small number of targets, or regularly build the same variations, then doing as Choccie says is a great idea. You can go more complicated if you need to by scripting outside of Flare. But this could be a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

For example, I create bespoke owners manuals for motor boats, where each manual is specific to that boat, incorporating many variables and conditions. I have a little python app outside of Flare that asks me for the model name and number and then does all the work getting the information it needs to create a target. This makes my Flare production process very much easier. It is not an easy thing to set up for sure and would probably be far too much for generating the same small subset of targets.

Rob

[henkjans]

Thanks for your responses.

I have many variables/conditions that lead to the correct PDF manual.
And @Rob, I have also thought about programming a script outside of Flare that sets the right variables/conditions.
The advantage is that many Flare files are regular flat ASCII files.
So, that will be the solution.

@Madcap: there are so many useful features that make Flare even more user-friendly.