Creating reference formats

Reference formats are references to existing format definitions. Whenever the original format definition changes, its reference format changes accordingly. Format definitions or compound format elements can contain reference formats. If you want to add some existing format elements to a compound format element, you can just add a reference format which refers to the format definition that contains and only contains those existing format elements.

To create a reference format, follow these steps:

  1. In the main editing area of the FMTE page in the Editor view, right-click the format definition or the compound format element to which you want to add the reference format.
  2. In the pop-up menu, select Add reference format. The new reference format appears inside the format definition in the Outline view and the FMTE page of the Editor view.
  3. Select the newly created reference format in the Outline view.
  4. In the Properties view, the value field for the Ref Id property is a combo box. Select an existing format definition from the list or type the name of a new format definition.

By adding reference format to a format definition or compound format element you form a format hierarchy. To remove reference formats from a format hierarchy, see Removing elements from format hierarchies.

To locate the original format definition your reference format refers to quickly, see Locating the referenced format definition.