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W r i t i n g a t t r i b u t e d e f i n i t i o n s f o r a n e l e m e n t
Attribute name
When you insert an Attribute element, the Name child element is inserted automatically
along with it. Type the attribute name in the Name element. For example:
1. Name: Author
Give an attribute a name that is self-explanatory. Although different elements can have
attributes with the same name, it's good practice to use the same name only for the same
semantics. Attribute names are case-sensitive, and they cannot contain white-space
characters or any of these special characters:
( ) & | , * + ? < > % [ ] = ! ; : { } "
An attribute name can have up to 255 characters in FrameMaker, but you should try to keep
the names concise. End users often display attribute names with their elements in the
Structure View.
SGML: If you plan to export documents to SGML, you may want to define attribute
names that conform to the naming rules and the maximum name length permitted
by the concrete syntax you'll be using in SGML. If you prefer names that do not
adhere to the SGML conventions, you can provide read/write rules to convert them
to SGML equivalents when you export. For more information, see "Naming elements
and attributes" on page 231.
Attribute type
The attribute type determines what kind of values are allowed in the attribute. You can
specify attribute types for string values, numeric values, and IDs and their references. Insert
one of the type elements after the name in the attribute definition. For example:
1. Name: Author
These are the attribute types available:
Type
String
Strings
Integer
Integers
Real
Reals
Choice
Attribute Definitions
String
Values allowed in the attribute
An arbitrary text string
One or more arbitrary text strings
A whole number, which may be signed (optionally restricted to a
range of values); valid integers: 224, +795, -1024
One or more integers (optionally restricted to a range of values)
A real number (optionally restricted to a range of values), can use
e notation to express 10 to the power of x; valid real numbers: 23,
.23, 0.23, 2.3e-1, .023e+01
One or more real numbers (optionally restricted to a range of
values)
A value from a list of predefined choices
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