What are Folio Text Variables?

Adobe InDesign has items known as Text Variables. You can learn about them here: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/text-variables.html

BLOX Total CMS extends the built-in options to include a host of properties based upon information that can be gained from a document's naming. Document naming is the backbone of BLOX Total CMS automation. The core of the BLOX Total CMS client for Adobe InDesign imports the Page Creation Settings to a properly named document as Text Variables. Because these Text Variables primarily show up in a documents' folios, we call them Folio Text Variables. 

Standard Naming for Folio Text Variables

Unlike the default text variables that Adobe InDesign maintains on its own, the ones from the BLOX Total CMS client for Adobe InDesign have unique names. They are all single capital letters (e.g. A, B, E) or single capital letters followed by single digits from 0 to 9 (e.g. S1, S2). This means that each letter has up to 11 options and that provides a total of 286 available options. Luckily, there is in reality just a handful that are used.

Where can you see the Folio Text Variables?

Adobe InDesign provides several options for viewing the Text Variables. This is the option that lets you view all of them easy:

• Type > Text Variables > Define...

Inserting Folio Text Variables

In any document, but primarily a properly named BLOX Total CMS document, draw a text frame. With an insertion point in a frame, do one of the following things:

• Right-click and choose > Insert Variable > desired folio text variable
• Choose Type > Text Variables > Insert > desired folio text variable
• Choose Type > Text Variables > Define... Then click on the text variable and click the Insert button. This allows you fairly quickly insert several in a row
• Press Control/Command enter/return to activate Quick Apply, then type v: (for text variables) and then type the name of the variable

Updating the Folio Text Variables

The Folio Text Variables set by the BLOX Total CMS client for Adobe InDesign will only be current in documents that are properly named for the active domain. Thus, any you see in the Master Document for inclusion in a template will be stale. But as soon as you create a properly named document while logged in to BLOX Total CMS they will get set automatically by a background event. You can force them to update by either any of the following:

• BLOX Total CMS > Documents > Refresh Text Variables
• BLOX Total CMS > Documents > Save As...

Viewing Some Folio Text Variables in the Master Document

A Template Master can use Development mode and choose BLOX Total CMS > Development > Add Components... and select the Folio Text Variables: Standard Variables option to load some of the values. The values won't be correct for any particular document but it provides a basis for adding and formatting samples. 

In addition, the legacy method has been to copy a sample inserted into a properly named document using Adobe's technique and then paste it into the Master Document. That method works great. 

Finally, in live, properly named documents, all the text variables for every page will be the same. Thus, do not trust, nor use, the Page Number (G) nor Section (S) Text Variables in multi-page documents unless you are sure of your results. 

Folio Text Variables Names and Purposes

The following table details the various groups of Folio Text Variables that all sites now have access to with version 5.53.19 or newer of the BLOX Total CMS client for Adobe InDesign. Additional ones were added in newer versions of the client and/or Page Tracker. The most recent is the B3 value which is the publication's URL file. That is added in Page Tracker version 1.17 and BLOX Total CMS client for Adobe InDesign version 5.56.00-1.

Many sites will have additional Folio Text Variables that are being added via some other mechanism such as the addDateBaseFolioProperties.jsx that TownNews has provided for over a decade. 

Alternate Uses for Folio Text Variables for Naming Output

Most, but not all, of the Folio Text Variables should be accessible to <validateName> functions called by a site's Output Preferences.

Only the full letter versions like S can be used by <namingConvention> based entries. But all of the numbered versions S1, S2, etc. can be accessed by <validateName>

Understanding Volume and Issue Configuration

Client 5.53.19 added an intelligent calculation for determining volume and issue numbers based upon the Publication Schedule shown below:

To automate the Volume and Issue numbers the following must be true:

• You publish the entire volume each and every day you have selected in the above dialog. If you skip a day for holidays or other reasons we cannot automate the issue numbers.
• You do not change schedules mid-year. The entire volume must run at the same schedule. 
• The Volume start: date MUST be selected via the calendar button/date picker. It is the date that the volume switches over. Make sure it is the actual date for ALL years and not just this year. For example, in 2021 the first Monday is 4 January 2021. If you only publish on Mondays and Thursdays the Volume start: is still 1 January 2021 if that is the normal start of the volume even if you don't actually publish that day this year. If you want to configure it for historical accuracy, you can back date the volume start back to 1970, but not before. Besides, with the recent publication schedule changes sites have been making lately, a 2019-2021 date is more realistic. 
• The Volume num: should be the volume number on the first publish date on or after the Volume start:.
• The Publication days must be set to Daily. We don't automate for Monthly or Yearly, though we might in the future. But honestly, it's not that hard to do those by hand. 
• The publication days must be set correctly. If you publish on all Monday's check Mon. If you don't publish on Tuesdays, uncheck Tue. Get them correct!
• When the publication days are correct, client 5.65.x will have an automatic publication range using the `R` value.

Not seeing a change?

Don't forget that once a document has its Folio Text Variables set, they are set. Test changes on a new, properly named document.

There is, however, an option at BLOX Total CMS > Update and Reset > Folio Text Variables. But, depending upon the changes that were made, they might not populate with a new, properly named document.