Variable element within a variable resource

I have text resources (File1.txt, File2.txt, etc., etc.) each are several paragraphs long, based on a field in the input file. Within the paragraphs are variable element such as "First name" and "Ask Amount" that reside within the text resource. I have looked through all the manuals and I am not having good luck finding a solution. I thought I was headed in the right direction with <record> and <story> tags but I came to a dead end.

 

I tried to put in ...please give <variable name="askAmt"> and your subscription will be renewed....

and My final composed paragraph looks something like

 

"...please give {askAmt} and your subscription will renewed."

 

How do I make the link to my dataset?

 

I have only used FP for 1 week so I am still learning. Any help would be great.

 

FP 6.01f Windows XP

 

Vinny

Vinny,

 

Your use of the <variable name="askAmt"> tag within your text resource is indeed the method to use to place a variable within an external text file like you have here. A couple points to ensure that this composes correctly for you:

 

1) When you import these text files into your FusionPro template, make sure they are of type "Tagged File" vs. "Plain Text File".

 

2) The variable "askAmt" needs to exist in your input data file for your template. Please make sure you have this field in your data file.

 

Just an FYI - another approach you can take for this is to use "Formatted Text Resources" instead of "Tagged Text" files. Formatted Text Resources are blocks of variable text that live inside of the FusionPro template itself as opposed to being external text files.

 

An advantage of using Formatted Text Resources include the ability to easily apply style to your variable text (font, face, color, variable placement, etc) without having to type in formatting tags like you do with external text files (<b> for bold, <variable> for a variable, etc).

 

hth

Thanks Mark! I believe that I did not properly import them as tagged text.