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About Running Head Variables

A Running Head (or Running HF) variable is a special variable that you can insert into a header or footer in a page layout or a print master page. It lets you display certain text in the header or footer automatically, based on the style associated with the variable. For example, Running Head variables are useful if you want to include the title of each chapter in a document in a header or footer without having to type them into multiple pages.

Heading variables are very similar to Running Head variables. The key appeal of Running Head variables is that they are supported in FrameMaker and help with the transition of authors from FrameMaker to Flare. So people who are familiar with FrameMaker might prefer to use Running Head variables because they are used to them. However, Heading variables are somewhat easier to use and therefore are recommended for people who do not have a FrameMaker background.

Default Running Head variables

Flare provides the following default Running Head variables:

Variable Name	Variable Definition
Running H/F 1	<$paratext[h1]>
Running H/F 2	<$paratext[h2]>
Running H/F 3	<$paratext[h3]>
Running H/F 4	<$paratext[h4]>
Running H/F 5	<$paratext[h5]>
Running H/F 6	<$paratext[h6]>

You can add an additional six variables like this so that there are 12 all together (Adobe FrameMaker supports 12). If you add more variables than the six provided, they should follow the same naming convention (i.e., Running H/F 7, Running H/F 8, Running H/F 9, and so on).

Using other styles in Running Head variables

As you can see by looking at the variable definitions in the list, these variables are based on the <h1> through <h6> heading styles provided in Flare. You should not change the variable name or the first part of the definition. However, you can change the style within the definition if you want to use something other than one of the <h1> through <h6> heading styles provided (e.g., you can change <$paratext[h1]> to <$paratext[someOtherStyle]>). The style name used in the variable definition must match the style name that results from generating the output. If you create a style class, this means using an underscore in the variable definition. See About Styles and Style Sheets.

example

If you have an <h1> tag with a class called "title" in Flare, the style name generated for the corresponding paragraph in FrameMaker will be "h1_title" (not h1.title, as it is in Flare). Therefore, you would change the variable definition to <$paratext[h1_title]>.

Which style text is displayed?

When you insert a Running Head variable into a page layout frame or master page, Flare will insert the text from the first occurrence of the specified style on that page. If it doesn't find any text using that style, it will use the text from the previous occurrence of that style.

example

If you want the header in chapters to display content that is using the h1 style (perhaps you are using this style to display the chapter title for your output), select the Running H/F 1 variable. The header will then display the first <h1> content that it finds in the document (e.g., "My First Chapter Title"). When the next occurrence of the <h1> style appears on another page, the heading changes to display that text (e.g., "My Second Chapter Title"), and so on.

Steps for Using Running Head Variables

If you want to incorporate Running Head variables into your output, use the following steps.

Add variable set When you do this, make sure to select the Running HF template. See Adding Variable Sets to Projects.
Insert Running Head variables You can insert these variables into headers or footers within page layout frames or print master pages. See Inserting Running Head Variables into Frames or Inserting Running Head Variables Into Master Pages.

Note: Running Head variables are supported only in Adobe FrameMaker and Microsoft Word output.

Note: An alternative to Running Head variables, and perhaps an easier one, is to use Heading variables. See About Heading Variables.