Hi,
I'm working in Flare v9 and I have some topics that have about 12 different condition tags. Is there a way to set the view to show the content for one condition at a time (similar to what FrameMaker allows)?
Is there a way to set WYSIWYG to show conditioned items?
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wclass
- Propellus Maximus
- Posts: 1238
- Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2006 5:56 am
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
Re: Is there a way to set WYSIWYG to show conditioned items?
I don't know what Framemaker allows, but I can probably help with Flare.
When you click the preview button, it displays the topic as per the default target. You can click the drop-down instead and choose which target you want to preview as - this will automatically apply any conditions for that target. I have several targets set up so that I can quickly view different conditions.
Also, when the preview window is open, at the top there is a "Conditional Expression" field - you can select different conditions here to view the topic with conditions applied at a glance.
When you click the preview button, it displays the topic as per the default target. You can click the drop-down instead and choose which target you want to preview as - this will automatically apply any conditions for that target. I have several targets set up so that I can quickly view different conditions.
Also, when the preview window is open, at the top there is a "Conditional Expression" field - you can select different conditions here to view the topic with conditions applied at a glance.
Margaret Hassall - Melbourne
Re: Is there a way to set WYSIWYG to show conditioned items?
So there's no way to see content for ONE condition while I'm actually working? I just have to generate the preview every time?
I'm hoping to cut down on confusion for other writers when they come into a topic with several conditioned items, so they can view content for one condition at a time.
I'm hoping to cut down on confusion for other writers when they come into a topic with several conditioned items, so they can view content for one condition at a time.
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jasonsmith
- Sr. Propeller Head
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- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:51 am
Re: Is there a way to set WYSIWYG to show conditioned items?
It's a bit complicated but you could achieve this using different mediums.
1) Create new mediums A, B and C using the Options > Add Medium command on the Stylesheet Editor.
2) Create new span classes A, B and C in the default medium of the Stylesheet.
3) In the stylesheet editor choose medium A and set the display parameter of span B and span C to none.
4) In the stylesheet editor choose medium B and set the display parameter of span A and C to none.
5) In the stylesheet editor choose medium C and set the display parameter of span A and B to none.
6) Apply the relevant spans to your content.
7) In the XML editor select the relevant medium. A small icon with a crossed out eyeball will appear on hidden content. To hide it completely, clear Show Hidden Elements from the Show tags drop-down list.
Use the relevant medium for each target.
1) Create new mediums A, B and C using the Options > Add Medium command on the Stylesheet Editor.
2) Create new span classes A, B and C in the default medium of the Stylesheet.
3) In the stylesheet editor choose medium A and set the display parameter of span B and span C to none.
4) In the stylesheet editor choose medium B and set the display parameter of span A and C to none.
5) In the stylesheet editor choose medium C and set the display parameter of span A and B to none.
6) Apply the relevant spans to your content.
7) In the XML editor select the relevant medium. A small icon with a crossed out eyeball will appear on hidden content. To hide it completely, clear Show Hidden Elements from the Show tags drop-down list.
Use the relevant medium for each target.Re: Is there a way to set WYSIWYG to show conditioned items?
I'll admit that I haven't tried this, so I may be imagining a problem where there is none. But as I understand Jason's suggestion, you'll be using spans instead of conditions to mark your conditional content, then use different mediums to control how it appears in the output. I'm not sure this will work in all cases. But perhaps I'm wrong?
I think that if you apply a span style to content that already has some span styles (like bold or italics, for example), you'll find that the original span styles get overwritten with the new ones. You may not want that.
Also, span styles aren't always coded properly if the text being spanned includes variables. And you can't apply them to whole paragraphs (at least, not using the Flare XML editor) .
I tried to use span styles to hide content for other reasons, and found myself tripping over this. What I did in the end was define <div> styles. This meant that you can only show/hide (or "conditionalize" in your case) in units of whole paragraphs or more, but any underlying span styles aren't affected. Also, if you need to remove a condition and make the text unconditional, you just have a single <div> to delete for each conditional block, rather than lots of individual paragraphs to fiddle with.
However, I'm not even sure I'd want conditional text to be hidden from an author working on the text. There would always be the potential to break some dependency that they can't see. If the conditions are too complicated to follow when the text is being edited, then perhaps it's time to look at a bit of simplification? I've got no problem with irrelevant conditions being hidden from reviewers though.
I think that if you apply a span style to content that already has some span styles (like bold or italics, for example), you'll find that the original span styles get overwritten with the new ones. You may not want that.
Also, span styles aren't always coded properly if the text being spanned includes variables. And you can't apply them to whole paragraphs (at least, not using the Flare XML editor) .
I tried to use span styles to hide content for other reasons, and found myself tripping over this. What I did in the end was define <div> styles. This meant that you can only show/hide (or "conditionalize" in your case) in units of whole paragraphs or more, but any underlying span styles aren't affected. Also, if you need to remove a condition and make the text unconditional, you just have a single <div> to delete for each conditional block, rather than lots of individual paragraphs to fiddle with.
However, I'm not even sure I'd want conditional text to be hidden from an author working on the text. There would always be the potential to break some dependency that they can't see. If the conditions are too complicated to follow when the text is being edited, then perhaps it's time to look at a bit of simplification? I've got no problem with irrelevant conditions being hidden from reviewers though.
Marjorie
My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dogs already think I am.
My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dogs already think I am.
Re: Is there a way to set WYSIWYG to show conditioned items?
Thanks all,
Basically I was just curious if there was like a button that would "turn on/off" certain conditions from the XML editor view, but it doesn't look like it.
Thanks for your help on the issue!
Basically I was just curious if there was like a button that would "turn on/off" certain conditions from the XML editor view, but it doesn't look like it.
Thanks for your help on the issue!
Re: Is there a way to set WYSIWYG to show conditioned items?
You can always submit a feature request at https://www.madcapsoftware.com/feedback ... quest.aspx.
Lisa
Eagles may soar, but weasels aren't sucked into jet engines.
Warning! Loose nut behind the keyboard.
Re: Is there a way to set WYSIWYG to show conditioned items?
Flare 2019's "Select the conditional expression for viewing this topic in the XML editor" feature let's you hide or view conditions individually now.
