Re: Warning re: importing by reference

[Michael Christie <Michael_C2 -at- VERIFONE -dot- COM>]

Or...

  Document
       Frame
          Graphics

which makes the graphics directory a subdirectory of the directory
containing the Frame files.

I almost always use import by reference, and avoid copy into document
whenever possible. I often deal with changing UI's, which means changing
screen shots. By using import by reference, I replace the new screen shot
with the old, and I'm done. I don't have to worry about taking the new
screen shot *and then* copying it into my document. Makes life simpler.

Mike

Mike Christie
Senior Information Developer
VeriFone, Inc.
MikeC -at- verifone -dot- com
408 919-5729


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Scott Wahl [SMTP:swahl -at- BRIDGEWATERSYS -dot- COM]
> Sent: Thursday, August 27, 1998 12:22 PM
> To:   TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject:      Re: Warning re: importing by reference
>
> Hi all,
>
> One caveat to Beth's argument against importing by reference.  We need to
> make the
> distinction between an "absolute" path and a "relative" path.  An absolute
> reference
> might look like this "c:\winnt\profiles\swahl\desktop\graphics".
>
> You can make the reference to the graphic a "relative" one by using a
> simple
> directory structure:
>         Document
>                 Frame
>                 Graphics
>
> You put the Frame files in the Frame folder and your graphics in the
> Graphics folder
> *before* you import the graphics. Frame sets the reference to the graphics
> as
> relative to the Frame file, rather than as an "absolute" path that starts
> at the
> hard drive.  The relative path in this example would look like
> ":Graphics".
>
> This allows you to import graphics by reference without making the
> references
> dependent on a particular hard drive or server.  You can move the Document
> folder
> anywhere and the graphics will always appear.  The only way this gets
> messed up is
> if you change the name of the Graphics folder.
>
> Regards,
>
> Scott
>
> Elizabeth Kane wrote:
>
> >      Suzette,
> >      Just a few words of warning about "import by reference" -- I NEVER
> use
> >      it, because copying the graphics into the doc is so much simpler,
> >      safer and (in my case) really doesn't add an intolerable amount of
> >      size to my files. The trouble with importing by ref is that any
> time
> >      you copy or move those chapters to another location, you have to
> make
> >      sure to also copy every one of the graphic files that are imported
> by
> >      ref. You might also have to redefine the path to them. It's a pain!
> >      What if you lose one of them, or they all get deleted by mistake?
> The
> >      only way to make the file usable again is to recreate the captures.
> >      That's too much work to take a chance on, for me.
> >
> >      These days I'm having quite a time coping with a really bad
> situation
> >      caused by import by ref: our graphics guy was laid off, and I
> offered
> >      to maintain his huge archives. Right after he left, the MIS guy
> backed
> >      up his art docs onto tape. Then his Mac's hard drive died.
> >
> >      So we had to use the tape to restore all his files onto my machine.
> >      But every time I open a doc, I get an error message saying
> associated
> >      graphics files are missing. He used import by ref in every one of
> his
> >      docs, and sometimes there are 6 or 8 files I have to track down.
> >      Because the path to the files the doc was dependent on cited his
> hard
> >      drive name, and it's dead now, every file has to be fixed! I'm
> working
> >      unpaid overtime as a result.
> >
> >      Beth Kane
> >      bkane -at- artisoft -dot- com in Tucson
>
> --
> Scott Wahl
> Customer Documentation Coordinator
> Bridgewater Systems Corporation
> (613) 591-6655 x.2579
>
> From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=
> =
>
>

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