Flare masterpages have another trick up their sleeve – running headers and footers.
Flare allows you to nominate a style in a special type of variable. The first occurrence of text formatted with the nominated style on each page can be substituted for the variable. If the style doesn’t occur on the page, Flare will use the previous value. Normally you would use a heading style, but you can use whatever you like. You can even create a style specially for the running header and footer.
The screen grab shows a running header in Microsoft Word. It’s the standard Flare printed masterpage, except I’ve added the special variable.
So, you’ve seen it and now you want to add running headers to your project.
The first step is adding the special variable set. Click Project -> Add Variable Set… The Add Variable Set dialog opens. Make sure you have Factory Templates selected in the left window and select Running HF in the right. Give the variable set a name, something like “Running HFs” and click Add.
The standard running header and footer variable set is added to the project – you can see it in the Project Organizer Variables folder. The basic running HF set is for heading styles 1 to 6 (h1 to h6).
You might want to use something other than a heading style for the header. You might want to identify a catchy phrase from the content and use that instead. Make sure the styles tab is showing – if it isn’t press [F12]. Select the text you want to use in your running header and footer and apply one of the styles from the style window. I’m going to use anything styled as cite for my running headers. (If you are using a heading style for your running header, just apply the heading style.)
If you are using something other than h1 to h6 you’ll have to add the special variable. Double click the runningHF variable set in the Project Organizer Variables folder. You can either modify one of the existing variables or create a new one. Creating a new one seems better to me. Click the New Item button, add a name and specify the style you want to use in the format <$paratext[style]>, substitute the style name in the square brackets. You can look at how Madcap have specified the others for help.
Once you’ve set up the variables (and applied the styles throughout the project) you can modify the masterpage to add the variable.
Open the masterpage and place the cursor where you want the running header (or footer) to appear. Click Insert -> Variable... The Insert Variable dialog opens. Select the running header and footer variable set you added earlier in the left window then select the variable for the style you’re using to choose the running header. Click OK.
Now when you create the printed output version of your project you’ll see running headers (or footers, if that’s where you inserted the variable).