Hi, Simon:
Just a wild guess that writing a plug-in is more than trivial. However, a script might work. Actually, while writing some scripts might be trivial for one who has some appropriate skills, more complex scripts require advanced skills, but not on par with plug-in development skills.
The question is "What should the script do?" Actually, the question is "What overly-labor-intensive operation should the script do easily?"
I'm a FM and ID user, so your question has been boggling me for a while. Here's a clumsy but workable approach:
* Insert a cross-reference whose format is <paraNum /> in a numbered heading paragraph. This captures the paragraph's autonumber. Yes, there will be two numbers, like "1 1," "2 2," etc. This shows it's working so far.
* Create and apply a character style to the cross-reference's number.
* Create and define a character style running header text variable, choose the character style defined earlier, and insert it in a header/footer text frame on the master page. The cross-reference's captured paragraph number appears in the header on document pages.
* Insert <paraNum /> cross-references in additional heading paragraphs and point them to the paragraph's autonumber. Verify that running headers capture the first or last paragraph numbers, depending on your variable's definition.
* Once you've proven the concept, modify the character style to make it invisible. You can use small type, paper color, etc. If you don't like the text displacement it causes, you can move it to the end of the heading paragraph. Verify that it doesn't cause the heading to wrap to a new line.
Yeah, it's tedious, but it should satisfy your requirement.
OK, what about a script? Well, if a scripting guru tackled the problem, the successful script would create a cross-reference that captures each numbered list paragraph's autonumber, inserts it at the beginning or end of the paragraph text, and applies the character style that makes it invisible. For goodies, it could prompt the user to specify the heading's paragraph style and the invisible character style, rather than requiring the user to type these names into the script. A companion script could toggle character style to visible or invisible.
Autonumbered paragraphs should renumber normally when moved, deleted, or added in the text flow. Hmmm... Probably best to put the cross-references at the ends of paragraphs to avoid displacing text.
If your heading paragraphs won't have text, only autonumbers, you probably could use a paragraph style running header text variable.
I did a small test to verify the concept. If you need scripting assistance, ask here, and in the scripting forum.
Search Google for terms like "InDesign cros-references," "InDesign running header text variables," and "InDesign hiding text making text invisible," without quotes, for details from these Adobe forums and also other sources in the outside world.
HTH
Regards,
Peter
_______________________
Peter Gold
KnowHow ProServices
toSimonLinden wrote:
Hi!
Yes I've heard of Publishing Assistant - it's part of the Paratext suite isnt't it? I've contacted the administrators to see if we can be allowed to use this software but the feedback has been very limited. It doesn't seem like we will be invited to use it.
This actually opens up a new stream of questions which I avoided in my first post. Namely how to go from InDesign to USFM, but I suppose that's a question for another thread.
I wonder how difficult it would be to write my own plug-in that solces the footnote issues I'm having...? So far I've only written scripts but if I can't find plug-ins that will aid me perhaps the best solution is to create it myself.