Feedback on: Pathagoras Help System - Differences and CaveatsAnatomy'Pathagorizing' Your Documents (Variables and Optional Text) > {Simple Optional} Text Blocks > Differences /Dear Support Staff,
Differences and Caveats
While similar in function, the 'simplified approach' is more limited in function as compared to its 'big brother:'
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the more powerful <<*Options/Optional*>> text blocks allows you to provide meaningful questions to the end user. See Optional Text (advanced).
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the more powerful <<*Options/Optional*>> text blocks allows you to provide a series of (typically shorter) 'questions' to reflect the options, instead of reproducing the actual text of the options; and
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the more powerful <<*Options/Optional*>> allow you to create sophisticated Ask Tables which present a top of document listing of all <<*Options/Optional*>>questions found in the body of the document.
Because of the way that Pathagoras 'reads' the text in order to process it, Word 'fields' such as cross-references (which frequently contain "{" and "}" characters) can cause Pathagoras to act unpredictably. If you get such result, 'disable' the simplified {Optional} text block feature. (Do so via the main Utilities/Settings screen. The check box is at 'screen center.') Test again and see if the results improve. If they do not, contact Pathagoras Customer Service.
For many users, however, the simplicity offered by the {optional text} technique will surpass the benefits of the <<*Optional/Options*>> blocks. Please note that this feature may be used in addition to, and concurrently with, the <<*Options*/*Optional*>> Text blocks discussed in the previous screen.
