Cross-ref bug in FrameMaker

This forum is for all Flare issues related to PDF, eBook, Microsoft Word, Adobe FrameMaker, XPS, and XHTML book targets.
Post Reply
robert_sfl
Jr. Propeller Head
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2006 3:41 am

Cross-ref bug in FrameMaker

Post by robert_sfl »

When I use a cross-ref of the type \"see <title> on page <page>\" then the title is ignored in FrameMaker output.
BRM
Jr. Propeller Head
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:15 pm

Post by BRM »

I'm new to the forum....

I'm having the same problem but I don't see a reply to this post -- has anyone else encountered this problem? Is there a workaround?
Richard Ferrell
Propellus Maximus
Posts: 840
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 10:11 am
Location: Inside California

Post by Richard Ferrell »

In your stylesheet what do you have your Xref set for?
Richard Ferrell

Certified Madcap Trainer
Image
BRM
Jr. Propeller Head
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:15 pm

Post by BRM »

mc-format = {h1} on page {page} (using a print medium)

I thought I had this figured out -- it appeared that the x-ref text that did not use not a p.bullet style worked -- at least 85% of the time --so I changed all x.refs to a basic p.body style -- that didn't fix the problem. Frame left out the H1 text 95% of the time -- I can't figure out what is different in the other 5%.
pdenchfield
Propellus Maximus
Posts: 574
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 7:56 am
Location: Seattle, WA
Contact:

I see this problem too, for new xrefs

Post by pdenchfield »

For new xrefs I create, the heading text is omitted AND the link does not work.

For xrefs imported, the heading text appears and SOMETIMES the link works.

Do you use quotes in your xrefs? Quotes are only in my xrefs if I use the default xref style (no class, no edits to original xref style in the stylesheet). When you open the stylesheet in the internal text editor, default styles do not appear...it is only when you edit the default styles or add your own classes that the styles/classes appear in the internal text editor. When I edit or add an xref style/class, each quotation mark (\") shows up as {quote} and my FrameMaker output omits the quotes. However, the quotes appear in .chm output.

Tech Support is working on these issues right now.

Please do keep us posted on anything you find out. I'll do the same.
alex
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:22 am

Cross-ref bug in FrameMaker

Post by alex »

(response has been cross-posted)

Short version: Title is still being ignored in FrameMaker

- - - -
Ok, so there is still a missing link...

An example of a simple xref style that works:

I have created a new xref style that will display uniquely and appropriately in WebHelp and FrameMaker called:
ForMoreInfo

It displays in WebHelp as:
For more information, refer to Using Medical Pages.
The code behind this in the stylesheet is:
{color black}For more information, refer to {/color}{u}{title}{/u}{color black}.{/color}

It displays in FrameMaker as:
For more information, refer to page 9.
The code behind this in the stylesheet is:
For more information, refer to page {page}.

A problem occurs when I use {title}, {h2}, or {h3} in my FrameMaker style.

In the stylesheet, I set up the following code to display a more complex cross-reference for FrameMaker output:
For more information, refer to the {para} section in {title} on page {page}.

What should display in Frame as:
For more information, refer to the Mouse-Over Fields section in Using Medical Pages on page 8.

Actually displays as:
For more information, refer to the Mouse-Over Fields section in on page 8.

I made sure the topic Title was actually entered in the properties and tested again. Same result.

I changed {title} to {h2}{h3} (since those are the heading styles we'd need to pick up), thinking perhaps it might pick up the title text that way, but it didn't.

I'm assuming this is a bug.
Graham Campbell
Propeller Head
Posts: 54
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:40 am
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Re: Cross-ref bug in FrameMaker

Post by Graham Campbell »

I'm also experiencing this issue in Flare 3.1 and haven't found a workaround.

One thing that does appear to be consistent is the scope of the cross reference itself.

To explain, if within a chapter I place a x-ref to another part of that same chapter, I experience the title not displayed issue described above. If I change (i.e. not delete, just edit) the same x-ref to point to a heading in another chapter then it works fine.

I'd love to know if this is being worked on and if it's being treated as a bug to be fixed in the next release.
A_S_L
Propeller Head
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 7:32 am

Re: Cross-ref bug in FrameMaker

Post by A_S_L »

I am also encoutering a problem with missing {title} cross-reference information in the FrameMaker output. I was wondering if this issue had been fixed, or if anyone has found a solution.
alex
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:22 am

Re: Cross-ref bug in FrameMaker

Post by alex »

To anyone who would like to see this issue fixed:

Please make sure you log a bug! Remember the whole 'squeaky wheel' thing :)
A_S_L
Propeller Head
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 7:32 am

Re: Cross-ref bug in FrameMaker

Post by A_S_L »

OK, I'm presuming that this is going to be telling people how to suck eggs, but I'll go ahead anyway...

I gave up on trying to insert {title} or {h1} tags into the x-ref style. They were not included in the output - or if they were, the appearance seemed random. However, I noticed that it seems to work if I use <$paratext> rather than {title}.

For example: For more information, see "<$paratext>" on page {page}.

I'm sure this is common knowledge, but I thought it might be useful to someone as I couldn't find the information.

I've still got to test my output properly, but initial impressions are good.
Graham Campbell
Propeller Head
Posts: 54
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:40 am
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Re: Cross-ref bug in FrameMaker

Post by Graham Campbell »

Incidentally, just to tie up loose ends, I haven't seen this issue occur again for the last couple version of Flare (I'm now using Flare 5 and PDF output works just fine, as does HTML and Web Help).
alex
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:22 am

Re: Cross-ref bug in FrameMaker

Post by alex »

This post is a bit of a piggy-back on this topic, just in case anyone who comes to this thread is also finding the problem I describe below:

Oh, we're still experiencing an issue with "Unresolved cross-references" in Frame output when there is a combination of xrefs within chapters and from one chapter to another within the same book.

If I have a cross-reference in a topic in Chapter 1 to a topic in Chapter 4, and the topic in Chapter 4 has cross-references to bookmarks within the same Chapter 4 topic*, I get an unresolved cross reference message when I generate the Frame output and open Chapter 4, and the page reference is missing, so you only see the bookmarked text without the page number. You have to manually tweak this in Frame (associate the correct cross-reference from a dialog box within Frame).

If I remove the Chapter 1 topic that has the cross-reference (or, of course, just the cross-reference itself) to the topic in Chapter 4 and build the target, the cross-references within the topic in Chapter 4 work fine - both the text and page number display perfectly.

It's the combination of the two cases that stops us cold. Does this actually work for others?


*In case this needs a little more clarification:
In Chapter 1, Topic A has xref to Topic M, which is in Chapter 4 of the book.
Topic M has xrefs at the beginning of the topic to bookmarks of images within Topic M (For an example of Report X, refer to page 27). The sample images print a few pages after the initial xref text.
Post Reply