A Guide to QuarkXPress 2022

Edit content variables

To edit content variables, choose Window > Content Variables to display the Content Variables palette. The buttons at the top of this palette let you add, edit and duplicate content variables. Choose an existing content variable and click the button to edit it, or click the button to add a new content variable.

The Edit Content Variable dialog displays.

Enter a name in the Name field. If you are adding a new content variable or duplicating an existing content variable , select the content variable Type from the drop-down menu. Specify the attributes for your content variable, these will vary depending on the type of content variable you are editing :

• Creation Date: Creation Date inserts the date or time the document was first saved. You can insert text before and after the date, and you can modify the date format for all date variables using the drop-down menus.

• Current Page Number: This variable inserts the current page number of the current project into the document.

• Custom Variable: See "Create a custom content variable" for more information.

• File Name: This variable inserts the name of the current file into the document. Select Include Extension to include the file name extension. The File Name variable is updated whenever you save the file with a new name or to a new location. The extension does not appear in the document until it is saved.

• Flow Box Page Number: This variable inserts the page number where the current box continues (or where the current box is continuing from) if the current box spans multiple pages that may not be contiguous. From the Context drop-down menu, choose either Next Box or Previous Box to specify whether to insert the page number where this box continues or where it is continuing from.

• Last Page Number: This variable inserts the last page number of the current project into the document. The Last Page Number type is useful for adding the total number of pages in a document to headers and footers using the common Page 3 of 12 format. In this case, the number 12 is generated by the Last Page Number, and is updated whenever pages are added or removed. From the Scope drop-down menu, choose an option to determine whether the last page number in the section or layout is used.

• Modification Date: Modification Date inserts the date or time the document was last saved. You can insert text before and after the date, and you can modify the date format for all date variables using the drop-down menus.

• Next Page Number: This variable inserts the next page number of the current project into the document. From the Scope drop-down menu, choose an option to determine whether the next page number in the section or layout is used.

• Output Date: Output Date inserts the date or time the document was printed or exported. You can insert text before and after the date, and you can modify the date format for all date variables using the drop-down menus.

• Page Reference: You can insert text before and after the page reference variable. Select an Anchor Name from the drop-down menu. Select Create Hyperlink to create a hyperlink in the text.

• Previous Page Number: This variable inserts the previous page number of the current project. From the Scope drop-down menu, choose an option to determine whether the previous page number in the section or layout is used.

• Running Header: Choose the source style sheet to display in your header and then choose whether you want to display the first occurrence on the page, the last occurrence on the page, the first occurrence on the spread or the last occurrence on the spread.

• Static Text: Type in the text you want to appear when inserting this content variable.

When you're done, click OK.

Create a custom content variable

In addition to the existing preset content variables offered by QuarkXPress, you can also create custom content variables to use in your projects. Custom variables are great if you want to use text content somewhere within a text story and the same content in a different story or at a different place. When you change the content of the custom variable, it is changed everywhere where used.

To create a custom content variable:

1. Place the insertion point where you want the variable to appear.

2. Select Utilities > Content Variable and choose New from the drop-down menu.

   The Edit Content Variable dialog displays.

3. Enter a name in the Name field.

4. Choose Custom Variable from the Type drop-down menu.

   

5. You can choose to insert a Text String or a Text Variable when using this custom content variable.

   • If creating a custom variable that inserts a text string, type in the text you want to appear when inserting this content variable. Click the plus symbol to add more lines to the text.

   • If creating a custom variable that inserts a text variable, select the text variable you want from the drop-down menu. You can combine 2 or more text variables by clicking the plus symbol to add another.

     

6. Click OK.

Insert a content variable

To insert a content variable in your project:

1. Place the insertion point where you want the variable to appear.

2. Select Utilities > Content Variable and choose the variable you want to insert from the drop-down menu.

The variable appears on the page as if you'd typed it in the document.