How to Use System Variables in Adobe FrameMaker to Create Automatically-Updated Meta Information

By Ugur Akinci

Adobe FrameMaker comes with a wealth of built-in SYSTEM VARIABLES. They are all listed in the VARIABLES pod.
You can create fresh and automatically-updated meta-information (like chapter and page numbers, etc.) easily by using them.
Here is how the variables pod look for a newly created FM 12 document:
(Click to enlarge the images)

When the document is saved, the list of default system variables expand:

You can use these variables, for example, to create a “Page X of Y total pages” type of page number either in the Header or Footer area.
Go to the View > Master Page view. Click and insert your cursor wherever you like in the header or the footer.
Insert the following two system variables by double-clicking on them from inside the VARIABLES pod, as shown below:

When you switch to the Body View, the page number will display correctly in the header area and will increment correctly as you keep adding new pages:

These system variables have hundreds of other uses. Experiment with and explore them.