### 15.11.4 Retaining format properties of user variables in DITA

If you convert FrameMaker user variables to entities or conrefs, DITA XML cannot retain format properties of those variables, because character formats are converted to tags only in a specific context. XML has no tag that turns off other tags, unless you specify them explicitly; so, for example, <Default ¶ Font> has no reasonable meaning in an entity or a conref. If you need the format properties in DITA XML, you must let variables become part of each instance of the text, which is the default, rather than turn them into entities or conrefs; see §15.11.2 Specifying how to treat FrameMaker variables.

To retain character format properties for a specific FrameMaker user variable, you must use a Mif2Go macro variable of the same name to shadow that user variable; see §5.4.2 Replacing values of FrameMaker user variables. Tags must be balanced, as in:

[MacroVariables]

TechnologyName = <b>New Technology</b>

Even with balanced tags, you will create invalid XML if you use the variable in an area that does not allow <b>...</b>, such as nested within another set of <b>...</b> tags.

| 15.11.3 Treating FrameMaker variables as conrefs |  | 15.12 Converting conditions to DITA attributes |