One of FrameMaker's strengths is its ability to pull the contents of a paragraph directly from the flow and insert the text in a header or footer. If the original paragraph text updates, the header or footer updates automatically (this is known as a running header or footer).
In an ideal world, authors would always write short, concise headings. In real life, some heads are so long they look like bold, multi-line paragraphs.
When I need to pull lengthy chapter titles and section heads into a running header, the trouble begins. My solution? A Header/Footer Marker $1 marker.
There are two of these lurking in the Marker dialog box, just waiting for you to find them. Here's how I use one of them to solve the too-long title issue:
- Select the chapter title
- Choose Special > Marker (or you can press [Esc] [s] [m] on your keyboard
- Edit the marker text to the short, concise title you wish it had been given originally
- Click the New Marker button
Now you've got a customized running head that fits, yet manages to alert the reader to the current chapter. How about that for a quick and easy solution to the problem?
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About the author: Barbara Binder is the president and founder of Rocky Mountain Training. Barbara has been a trainer for nearly two decades and has been recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers in the world.