FrameMaker – special footnote numbering

Both chapter number and footnote number in reference
More than one footnote number sequence
Numbering with special (Unicode-)symbols

Side Note: If you are looking for sophisticated footnote functions, such as

• Table footnotes appearing on the same page as the reference in the table (that is, not at the end of the table)
• Foot note references with special formats, e.g. (*)

… get in contact with Jang F.M. Graat. He makes FrameMaker jump through hoops [2019-11-16].

Both chapter number and footnote number in reference

One of my clients wanted to have footnotes numbered like headings comprising both a chapter number and the footnote number, the items seprated by a special character:

2 | 7

This is footnote number 7 in chapter 2: Der froschkönig war es nun endgültig leid, noch länger auf die prinzessin zu warten. Ärgerlich hüpfte er vom brunnenrand, zumal eine dicke fliege sein interesse weckte. Übel hatte ihm die prinzessin mitgespielt! Daß ihm das passieren musste! Öfter als sonst verkroch er sich von nun an in die brunnenkresse und sinnierte über den kleinen grünen steinfresser.

In FrameMaker the footnote numbering mechanism does not use building blocks as the numbering of paragraphs. Hence the special numbering can be achieved only by completely forgetting the footnote numbering process and working with anchored frames containing the footnote and a cross reference to the footnote paragraph.

The following method can be used for any special numbering of "footnotes".

1. At the place in the text where you want to have your footnote reference, insert an anchored frame with property "At bottom of colomn"
2. Within this anchored frame set up a text frame.
3. The text frame contains one or more paragraphs (e.g. with format xfn-xtra-footnote . These paragraphs are numbered. for the above mentioned numbering use this scheme: f:<$chapnum> | <n+>\t
4. The footnote reference is an ordinary cross reference to the footnote paragraph in the anchored frame. For example it may have the formt xfn with this definition: <super><$paranumonly></>. You use the character format super for superscripting here.
5. You will need such an anchored frame on every page where you have footnote references. To avoid to much fiddling around do not fill the pages to tight, that is, make the anchored frame not to small and keep its size over the page as constant as possible.

It is somewhat tedious to size the anchored frame with its inner text frame containing the special footnote(s). The inner text frame should be adjusted at the bottom and above the text frame a separator line is usually placed.

The FrameMaker 7 file special-footnote-numbering1.mif is a complete example. Use the anchored frame as a boiler plate element.

More than one footnote number sequence

Another clien requested footnote numbering to follow rules known from the hierachical numbering of headings. This requires two (or more) which is only possible with special ¶ formats (fn-footnotes, fn-next). In addition these footnotes are placed in its own connected text frames (flow F in the sample document, coloured frame).

In the text body the footnote references are cross-references to the footnote paragraphs.

The two ¶ formats for the footnotes provide the following functions:

fn-next	Start a new numbering sequence for the footnotes. This is indicated by a separator line above the paragraph. It is otherwise empty and increments the first counter: F:< +>< =0>
fn-footnotes	The format for the automatically numbered footnotes, which are referenced: F:<n>\+<n+>

This mechanism creates footnote-numbering 1-1, 1-2 etc. and 2-1, 2-2 etc.

The size of the text frame with the footnotes must be adapted on each page individually. As soon as changed in the main text frame appear, this adjustment must be repeated. Hence this is a clear manual procedure.

The FrameMaker 7 file special-footnote-numbering2.mif is a complete example.

Numbering with special (Unicode-) symbols

Since FM-8 Unicode is supportes. This opens a wide field of symbols available in the text fonts. The standard symbols for 'custom numbering' footnotes are *†‡.

Depending on your text font you may define more and other symbols. For example, in Times New Roman these are available: ♣♥♠♦♪♫. Since it is not possible to assign a fcharacter format to the definition of the footnote references, the special symbols must be present in the font of the body text and the footnote text.

The FrameMaker 10 file unicode-footnote-symbols.mif is a complete example using the symbols shown above..