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10
H o w e l e m e n t s i n h e r i t f o r m a t t i n g i n f o r m a t i o n
It is even possible to have only one paragraph format for an entire document. The format
is associated with the document's highest-level element, and all other elements inherit the
format and specify changes to it when necessary.
The general case
When FrameMaker formats text in an element, it first determines which paragraph format
to apply:
•
If the element's definition specifies a base paragraph format, that format is used.
•
If the element's definition does not specify a paragraph format, FrameMaker searches up
through the element's ancestors until it finds an element with a format and then uses that
format.
In general, if FrameMaker reaches the top of the element's hierarchy and still has not
found a format, it uses the default Body paragraph format for the document. (The
behavior is somewhat different for an element in a table or footnote, or if the document
is part of a book. See "Inheritance in a table or footnote" on page 130 or "Inheritance in
a document within a book" on page 131.)
After FrameMaker takes a paragraph format from an ancestor or from the top of the
hierarchy, it starts at that point and goes back down through the hierarchy to the current
element, picking up formatting changes in format rules along the way. The changes modify
the paragraph format cumulatively at each point. A format can have an absolute value (a
fixed value, such as an indent expressed as distance from the left margin) or a relative value
(a change to a current setting, such as an amount to move an indent). An absolute value
replaces the same value in the paragraph format, and a relative value is added to the
format's value to create a new value.
For example, in this set of definitions only the Section element has a base paragraph
format (body). The descendants of Section all use the body paragraph format, and most
also specify changes to it:
Text Format Rules for Containers, Tables, and Footnotes
128
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