Adobe FrameMaker: Dictionary-Style Running Heads

If you are creating reference materials like a dictionary, glossary or telephone directory, you may be called on to produce "live" running heads, but with a twist. FrameMaker's Running H/F 1 variables are all set to go gather paragraphs from a document and display them in a running head, but the assumption is that you want the first paragraph from the page.

For example, if page two has three Heading1s, and you set your variable to <$paratext[Heading1]>, FrameMaker will pull the first Heading1 off the page, and will ignore the other two. In reference materials, that will work great for the left page header, but you may find it helpful to pull the last Heading1 off of the right hand pages, to show the range of information that appears on the facing pages spread. Here's how:

1. Set the Running H/F 1 variable on the left page to <$paratext[Heading1]>.
2. Set the Running H/F 2 variable on the right page to <$paratext[+,Heading1]>.

That's it! The plus sign (+) tells FrameMaker to find the last paragraph on the page matching the tag rather than the first paragraph.

If you are new to FrameMaker and want to get up to speed quickly, join IconLogic's instructor-led, online Introduction to Adobe FrameMaker 9 class. Too elementary for your skill level? How about the Advanced FrameMaker 9 class? Hope to "see" you there.

If you are creating reference materials like a dictionary, glossary or telephone directory, you may be called on to produce "live" running heads, but with a twist. FrameMaker's Running H/F 1 variables are all set to go gather paragraphs from a document and display them in a running head, but the assumption is that you want the first paragraph from the page.

For example, if page two has three Heading1s, and you set your variable to <$paratext[Heading1]>, FrameMaker will pull the first Heading1 off the page, and will ignore the other two. In reference materials, that will work great for the left page header, but you may find it helpful to pull the last Heading1 off of the right hand pages, to show the range of information that appears on the facing pages spread. Here's how:

1. Set the Running H/F 1 variable on the left page to <$paratext[Heading1]>.
2. Set the Running H/F 2 variable on the right page to <$paratext[+,Heading1]>.

That's it! The plus sign (+) tells FrameMaker to find the last paragraph on the page matching the tag rather than the first paragraph.

If you are new to FrameMaker and want to get up to speed quickly, join IconLogic's instructor-led, online Introduction to Adobe FrameMaker 9 class. Too elementary for your skill level? How about the Advanced FrameMaker 9 class? Hope to "see" you there.