Re: Problem with Framemaker 5.5.6

["Thomas Michanek" <thomas.michanek@xxxxxxxxx>]

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From: "Danny Watkins" <dannyw@access.com.au>
> For certain
> reasons I'm currently stuck with embeding graphics - they're highly
> compressed JPEG files.  Can anyone elaborate on the problems that can occur
> when you embed graphics? I need some arguments for and against this.

Embedding is also known as importing by copy in FM.

Importing by copy pros: 
+ all information in a single file (no need to keep track of other files)
+ documents can be moved in the file structure, transferred to other file 
  systems, e-mailed, checked into revision control systems, etc. without
  having to worry about external files
Importing by copy cons: 
- in worst case, you may loose some or all your images due to a rare FM bug
  (the bug effectively deletes all embedded images without telling you, and
  you must copy/paste all images from backup copies, if you still have them)
- documents become larger (filesize) and slower to handle (finally, FM may
  start complaining that there isn't enough memory to open the file)
- you have no way of knowing where an image originated from (there is no
  information stored about an embedded image's original file name)
- you have to manually locate and re-import images when they're updated
- you'll get duplicate copies of images that are used in more than one place

Importing by reference pros:
+ smaller (filesize) and faster documents
+ easy to update an image and have it reflected everywhere in all documents
+ possible to have different versions of the same image, with the same filename
  but in different locations in the file structure, and switch between them
  (especially useful when translating documents to other languages)
Importing by reference cons:
- if you want to move, transfer, e-mail, or check in a document, you must
  remember to include the correct external image files (perhaps by creating
  a ZIP file of the document and a graphics subdirectory)
- there's no automatic way to keep track of which image files are used in
  which documents (you'll have to generate lists of references yourself,
  and compare that with image file names in your file system)
- if an external image file is accidently deleted, you have lost the image
  in all documents (no internal copy is stored by default)
- if an external image file is moved or renamed, you have to manually fix
  these problems afterwards by re-linking the image files
- somewhat increased risk for cross-platform compatibility problems for
  image formats (not all formats are supported equally on all platforms
  and operating system versions)


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Thomas Michanek, FrameMaker/UNIX/MIF expert
Technical Writer, IAR Systems, Uppsala, Sweden
mailto:Thomas.Michanek@telia.com
http://w1.184.telia.com/~u18407300/
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