Re: importing SQL tables into a fm document

[hedley_finger@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Solvejg, Ethel:

Solvejg wrote ...
> I would like to know it is possible to import SQL tables into a fm
document
> and put it into nicely formatted tables?
>
> Our software is based SQL tables (SQL server 7.0). It allows you to
generate
> a script/text file from all "create table" entries (from a list of
tables)
> in a SQL file. This text file is not very easy to read. [...] I usually
[...]
> paste the file into Word [...] and format it with line breaks etc. [...].
Then,
> when I have to make a manual of all tables, I
> manually make a FrameMaker document with a table for each SQL table (but
> using an old manual as a template). These FM tables state the name of the
> SQL tables, the names of the fields in the tables, the data types of the
> fields and a description of each field. As you can imagine, this is a lot
of
> typing [...] I'm sure there must be an easier
> way to make these manuals, but how?

Ethel wrote:
> I'd also be interested in the answer to Solvejg's question.
>
> We've been using Visio to map our SQL Server 7 database and
> importing the Visio ERDs into a FrameMaker 6.0 document as part
> of our system documentation.

The traditional way of publishing databases to FrameMaker is to write a
complicated program that extracts data from the database and writes it to
an MML or MIF file with the appropriate formatting.  You open the MIF file
in FM and  -- voila! -- the file is ready to print.  There are a couple of
products on the market that simplify this process.  One that comes to my
rusty memory is Miramar, written by a British software house.  I think I
still have the evaluation copy at home and will email the developer's
contact details.  Mail me a reminder privately if I haven't followed up in
a few days.

Another way is to acquire FrameScript, which now has an ODBC interface.
You can write a script which will interact with a database using SQL
commands, extract the relevant data, and insert it into a FrameMaker
document.  See <http://www.framescript.com/>.

Regards,
Hedley

--
Hedley Finger
Technical Communications/Technical communicator and FrameMaker mentor
MYOB Australia <http://www.myob.com.au/>
P.O. box 371   Blackburn VIC 3130   Australia
<mailto:hedley_finger@myob.com.au>
Tel. +61 3 9894 0945
Mob. +61 412 461 558


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