Smart Text

Dear Xara...

It would be nice if the v16.2 Smart Text feature was capable of creating a new Smart Field from currently selected text. (Right-click and pick Create > New Smart Field).

Labelling the Smart Field Dialog columns as Smart Field Name and Smart Field Value would be useful.

Smart Field Value pasting from a previous selection should apply the current Styling and White Space (tab & indent, space, hard return, soft return).

Smart Field Names should be embeddable within other Smart Field Values.

If none of these, is it possible to make Live Copies of text blocks text rather than turning them into images, which is rather nasty?

Acorn

Hi,

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Originally Posted by Acorn

It would be nice if the v16.2 Smart Text feature was capable of creating a new Smart Field from currently selected text. (Right-click and pick Create > New Smart Field).

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Can add that to my improvements list.

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Originally Posted by Acorn

Labelling the Smart Field Dialog columns as Smart Field Name and Smart Field Value would be useful.

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Seems a little redundant if your in the SF dialog?

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Originally Posted by Acorn

Smart Field Value pasting from a previous selection should apply the current Styling and White Space (tab & indent, space, hard return, soft return).

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It should keep the style that you are pasting into. The smart field values aren't formatted in any style.

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Originally Posted by Acorn

Smart Field Names should be embeddable within other Smart Field Values.

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Can you give a use case example for this?

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Originally Posted by Acorn

If none of these, is it possible to make Live Copies of text blocks text rather than turning them into images, which is rather nasty?

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I'll see if we can export live copies as text.

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Originally Posted by Rob-Xar

Hi,
Can add that to my improvements list. Grateful.

Seems a little redundant if your in the SF dialog? (Name, Value) [pair] is simply too techie.

It should keep the style that you are pasting into. The smart field values aren't formatted in any style. You cannot apply a Character Style, or bold or underline or italic to the Smart Field Value. You cannot add a newline to an existing Smart Field Value.

Can you give a use case example for this?
I had a six-week transformation project to convert a prose-based set letter template pack in MS Word to one where I created a front page of "Document Smart Fields", covering gender and correspondent's given name and family name and many other fields that were themselves put into sentences and paragraphs that could be refreshed to each Value change, producing a very sophisticated error-free and personally-targeted letter back to the claimant, their solicitor or even MP. To do this, you need to nest Smart Fields.

I'll see if we can export live copies as text. Grateful.

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Rob, details in-line above.

Acorn

How are you trying to apply styles to your smart field value? If I insert a SF, then highlight it with the text tool I can apply bold / italic or change any style aspect of it. You won't be able to apply any styles to a SF within the dialog.

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Originally Posted by Rob-Xar

How are you trying to apply styles to your smart field value? If I insert a SF, then highlight it with the text tool I can apply bold / italic or change any style aspect of it. You won't be able to apply any styles to a SF within the dialog.

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Rob, my suggestion was in copying & pasting form existing text into the Smart Field Value, the formatting needs to be retained at the character level. When applying the Smart Text Name into an new/existing text area, the Paragraph Style dominates but allows Character Styling to be re-applied.

Acorn

Why would you want the formatting to be retained instead of taking on the formatting that has been applied to the text / text area?

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Originally Posted by Rob-Xar

Why would you want the formatting to be retained instead of taking on the formatting that has been applied to the text / text area?

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Rob, say I always use the phase "Watch out, there are Gremlins about!". Currently, I have to create three Smart Filed Names to achieve just this. I do not want to then have to click and clack to re-apply formatting when I add my strap-line into my prose; it would be quicker to re-type!

Later on I decide I want to change the red to green and add bold. At present, I cannot do any such formatting as the Smart Field Value is a plain text monolith.

We are working with word processing or web pages that use formatted text, so the "Smart" Field Values need to retain formatting.

Watch out, there are Gremlins about!
Acorn

I would prefer that format retention be a sticky option. I can make cases for both retaining the local formatting and for keeping it plain text that takes on the destination format. Depends on the particular project.

If the possibility of retaining the style of a smart field is added I personally would prefer to have an option for that at the individual smart field. Usually I would only want to have the plain text added in the current style, just as it is implemented now.
Some import functionality would be nice (from json or xml maybe), even better a life import from a linked file...