Cross-references

If you’re writing a manual or reference document, you may want to include a cross-reference to refer the reader from one part of your document to another. Example: For more information, see “Field mice” on page 249. You can specify whether a cross-reference derives from a paragraph style, such as a heading style, or from a text anchor you’ve created. You can also determine the cross-reference format, such as Page Number Only or Full Paragraph & Page Number.

Use the Cross-References panel to insert cross-references into your document. To open the panel, choose Window > Type & Tables > Cross-References.

The text being referred to is the destination text. The text that is generated from the destination text is the source cross-reference.

When you insert a cross-reference in your document, you can choose from several predesigned formats, or you can create your own custom format. You can apply a character style to the entire cross-reference source, or to text within the cross-reference. Cross-reference formats can be synchronized across a book.

Cross-reference source text is editable and can break across lines.

When you insert a cross-reference, a text anchor marker appears at the beginning of the destination paragraph. You can view this marker when you choose Type > Show Hidden Characters. If this marker is moved or deleted, the cross-reference becomes unresolved.

Use cross-reference formats

Several cross-reference formats appear in the New Cross-Reference dialog box by default. You can edit these formats, delete them, or create your own.

Create or edit cross-reference formats

Unlike other presets, cross-reference formats can be edited or deleted. When you edit a cross-reference format, any source cross-reference that uses that format is automatically updated.

Cross-reference building blocks

Creating cross-references to partial paragraphs

You can design cross-reference formats to include only the first part of a paragraph. For example, if you have headings in your document that look like, “Chapter 7—Granada to Barcelona,” you can create a cross-reference that refers only to “Chapter 7.”

When you insert the Partial Paragraph building block, you must do two things. First, specify the delimiter between the quotation marks. The delimiter is the character that ends the paragraph. Common delimiters include colons (Chapter 7: Granada), periods (Chapter 7. Granada), and dashes (Chapter 7—Granada). To insert special characters such as em dashes (^_), em spaces (^m), and bullet characters (^8), choose an option from the menu that appears when you click the Special Characters icon.

Second, indicate whether the delimiter character is excluded (Chapter 7) or included (Chapter 7—). Use includeDelim=”false” to exclude the delimiter and includeDelim=”true” to include the delimiter. Instead of “false” or “true,” you can use “0” or “1,” respectively.

Apply character styles within a cross-reference

If you want to emphasize a section of text within a cross-reference, you can use the Character Style building block. This building block consists of two tags. The <cs name=”stylename”> tag indicates which style is applied, and the </cs> tag ends the character style. Any text or building blocks between these tags is formatted in the specified style.

Load (import) cross-reference formats

When you load cross-reference formats from another document, the incoming formats replace any existing formats that share the same name.

In InCopy, you can import cross-reference formats only in standalone documents. You cannot import formats from an InCopy document into an InDesign document. If the new or modified format in InCopy conflicts with a format in the InDesign document when the story is checked in, the InDesign format takes precedence.

You can also share cross-reference formats across documents by synchronizing a book.

Delete cross-reference formats

You cannot delete a cross-reference format that has been applied to cross-references in the document.

Manage cross-references

When you insert a cross-reference, the Cross-References panel indicates the status of the cross-reference. For example, icons indicate if the destination text appears on the pasteboard , a parent page , a hidden layer , in overset text , or in hidden text . Cross-references that link to such destination areas are unresolved. The panel also lets you know if the destination paragraph has been edited  (also called out-of-date) or is missing  . Destination text is missing if either the destination text or the file containing the destination text cannot be found. Hold the mouse pointer over any icon to view a tool tip description.

In InCopy, you can manage cross-references only if the story is checked out for editing.

Update cross-references

An update icon indicates that the cross-reference destination text has changed or that the cross-reference source text has been edited. You can easily update the cross-reference. If the destination moves to a different page, the cross-reference is updated automatically.

When you update a cross-reference, any formatting changes you’ve made to the source text are removed.

When printing or outputting, you are notified if cross-references are out of date or unresolved.

To update all cross-references in a book, choose Update All Cross-References from the book panel menu. You are notified if any cross-references remain unresolved.

Relink cross-references

If the missing destination text has been moved to a different document, or if the document containing the destination text is renamed, you can relink the cross-reference. When you relink, any changes made to the source cross-reference are removed.

If any other destination text appears in that document, you can relink additional cross-references.

Edit cross-references

To change the appearance of the source cross-reference or specify a different format, you can edit the cross-reference. If you edit a cross-reference that links to a different document, the document is opened automatically.

Delete cross-references

When you delete a cross-reference, the source cross-reference is converted to text.

To completely remove a cross-reference, you can also select the cross-reference source and delete it.

Editing cross-reference source text

You can edit cross-reference source text. The advantage of editing cross-reference text is that you can change tracking or word spacing as needed for copyfitting, or make other changes. The disadvantage is that if you update or relink the cross-reference, any local formatting changes are removed.