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• • January 22, 2024 at 6:25 am #14399134
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    Hi, I’m working on an operation manual and am using numbered lists to automatically number paragraphs. I have a running header which uses the variable link to the desired paragrah style, but the output excludes the automated paragraph number. Which means for, say, paragraph “15.2.9 Numbers”, my running header only shows “Numbers”.

    How can I retrieve the automated paragraph number into the running header variable?

  • January 22, 2024 at 8:21 am #14399153
    Peter Kahrel

    Participant

    This is one of the ugly problems with InDesign’s text variables. It matches the problem that formatting in the source paragraph is ignored (the third problem is that text variables must be on a single line, they can’t break).

    There’s a scripted solution to the problem that formatting is ignored, and a variant can handle ignored paragraph numbers. It’s a really ugly workaround in that the running-header frames are overridden and the section number is inserted as plain text.

    This approach entails that you must wait until the text is finished, save the document, guard it with your life, run the script, export/print the document, then discard it (or save it under a different name).

  • January 22, 2024 at 8:23 am #14399155
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    Thanks Peter.

    This is absolutely dreadful. Could a plugin like DTP Tool’s Cross-Reference PRO help in any way here?

  • January 22, 2024 at 8:31 am #14399159
    Peter Kahrel

    Participant

    It is indeed dreadful. I’ve no idea whether DTP Tools have a solution for this, you could check their website. But cross-references aren’t unproblematic: you still have to override the running-header frame to make the cross-ref catch its reference, and when text moves around and a heading moves to a different page, you end up with the wrong running header.

  • January 22, 2024 at 8:32 am #14399161
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    Thanks for your help (and beautiful scripts).

  • January 24, 2024 at 10:18 am #14399135
    Steve Davis

    Participant

    the 15.2.9 is denoting the hierarchy across sections/chapters?
    Maybe do it with Chapter Number text variables.

  • January 28, 2024 at 5:11 am #14399385
    Peter Kahrel

    Participant

    This (old) problem came up again in another forum and I received emails about it, so time to come up with a workaround. It’s a bit convoluted, but it works fine:

    https://creativepro.com/files/kahrel/indesign/text-variables-in-running-headers.html

  • January 31, 2024 at 2:42 am #14399475
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    Hi Peter, great news that you went to the effort. I’ve tried your sample file and got an error, but I haven’t dug very deep. I’ll test more thoroughly and report here.

  • January 31, 2024 at 5:30 am #14399478
    Peter Kahrel

    Participant

    Milton — I’ve changed the script (and the sample) because if your headings contain just paragraph numbers, and no styling, it’s all a bit simpler. I also largely rewrote the web page. Please use these latest updates. And if there are still any problems please let me know.

  • February 9, 2024 at 12:19 am #14399681
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    Hi Peter, the script works on your sample file. On my own file, it throws error 45 “Object is invalid”, line 99, source “name: r [i].appliedCharacterStyle.name”

    I did name the object “Running header” in the Layers panel and saved the file beforehand. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.

  • February 9, 2024 at 1:00 am #14399682
    Peter Kahrel

    Participant

    Difficult to say without seeing your file. Could you send it to me (pkahrel@gmail.com) so that I can investigate?

  • February 13, 2024 at 5:14 am #14399810
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    Well, the file is 47MB, which isn’t easy to send over by mail. I could find ways to do that, but anyway I’ve changed strategies now. I use the contextual function “Convert Numbering to Text”, accessible by right-clicking on the list paragraph style in the Paragraph Styles panel. The automated numbering is “flattened” and becomes part of the variable output. Of course this is destructive and needs to be done at the very end of the layout work, but it appears that it will do the trick for me.

    Thanks again for your help.

  • February 13, 2024 at 11:38 am #14399833
    Peter Kahrel

    Participant

    > I use the contextual function “Convert Numbering to Text”, accessible by right-clicking on the list paragraph style in the Paragraph Styles panel.

    I never knew you could do that. That’s a pretty good workaround.

  • February 15, 2024 at 2:09 am #14399919
    Jasmine

    Member

    Thanks for the information!

  • April 16, 2024 at 11:34 pm #14402580
    Bruce

    Member

    This situation is truly unfortunate. Do you think a plugin like DTP Tool’s Cross-Reference PRO could offer any assistance in this matter?

  • April 17, 2024 at 7:32 am #14402591
    Peter Kahrel

    Participant

    I’ve no idea. Best to ask them.

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