Reply To: Combining text variables and grep styles – does it work?

I've had to do some very similar things.

The good news is that you can build your headers with many Text Variables, but use Running Head Character Styles instead

You'll need to generate a few blank Character Styles (with no info inserted all blank fields)

Then in your text on the Chapter headings, use Nested Styles to invoke a character style in the text.

So that Chapter has a text style perhaps called “Chapter Text” and that the number has a character style perhaps called “Chap No.”

When you include this in the Nested Style for your Chapter Headings then the Char Style is applied via the nested method.

You can then build Variables that pick up the “Chapter Text” style but not the “Chap No.”

I know you don't need the chapter number in the running head, but you might need to in the future.

This is how I've made very complex Running Head variables.

I've done even more complex things than that.