Link text frames to duplicate text around a layout?

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Wally4

Hello

I find myself inserting the same text over and over in each document. Is there a way to link text frames to adopt the text of one?

For example my package design has "Limited Edition" in 5 text frames.  Each frame has its own visual properties, but is there a way to change the text in just one and have it update across all 5 text frames wile retaining each text frames properties? Including the inputs required to edit all 5 it feels tedious after doing this to a few documents.

Am I missing something thats already there?

Thanks!

GarryP

Hello Wally4 and welcome to the forum.

As of 1.4.x there's no way for text frames to have contents that are dependant on the content of another frame.

It might be possible to change the text of multiple frames at the same time using a script but that's probably too much work to create and test (certainly more work than just re-typing a small bit of text into a few frames).

However, in 1.5.1 you can create what's currently called "variable text". With this - menu Insert -> Marks -> Variable Text - you can create a variable (e.g. give it a label of "Special" (or whatever) and text of "Limited Edition" (or whatever)).

The first time you insert the variable it is created. The next time you want to use this variable you can insert the variable text mark and choose the already created variable and it will be inserted while taking on the formatting of the existing text/frame. You can change the text by selecting the text inserted, going to insert the variable mark again, selecting the appropriate variable then changing the text which will change all inserted copies.

It's not a pretty way of doing things - and this might change in future versions (or the function might be dropped altogether, who knows?) - but it works.

You need to be aware that the 1.5.x versions of Scribus are development versions and as such are not recommended for use in production situations (although many people are doing so). Also, anything you save with 1.5.x cannot be opened in the 1.4.x versions (so you can't go back to a stable version). It's your choice whether to use it or not.