Re: Epic Editor to Frame

["Lester C. Smalley" <lsmalley@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rick,

I apologize for the late entry here, but do you wish to create XML, or
to read and process XML from some outside source?  Also, do you require
conformance to an XML dtd, or simply well formed XML?

The reason is that FrameMaker 6 (and FM+SGML 6) both can SAVE to XML and
will give you well formed XML files and a CSS for formatting purposes. 
I would suggest that you write/modify the generated CSS file and use
some very simple script to replace the default reference to the CSS that
FM creates with a ref to the better customized CSS you create.

>From FM+SGML, you can even write conforming XML files, provided you use
an appropriate SGML declaration file and craft the DTD properly. 

Before a number of people jump on me, FrameMaker's support for XML does
NOT currently include XML import, support for Unicode characters, XLST
capabilities, nor the full XML link features.  But, if you are trying to
get XML markup from a document, FM/FM+SGML version 6 does provide that.

And it has been hinted in these very lists that the next version of FM
will be a pleasant surprise for everyone wishing for improved XML
capabilities as well as better PDF handling ("Save As" and tagged PDF to
create accessible documents). 

So, a solution I might suggest if the above criteria are sufficient for
your needs would be:

1. Use FrameMaker (and IXGen, FrameScript, AutoText, DocTools, etc.) to
create and format the source files.

2. Use FM (via print to Acrobat Distiller) to create PDF files.

3. Use WebWorks Publisher (upgrade to the full package instead of the
"standard edition" provided with FM 6) to create online help and html as
desired.

4. Use the SAVE AS XML function of FrameMaker to generate well formed
XML files.

Rick Henkel wrote:

> My department is looking at some single-sourcing solutions. The first
> one would be a Frame (and IXGen, FrameScript, AutoText, DocTools,
> etc.) and WebWorks solution within Documentum to produce PDF and
> online help. At some point in the future, we would try to add XML into
> the equation. That solution involves software that several of us
> already have experience with.
> 
> The second solution comes from an ArborText representative. He told my
> boss that he knows of some documentation shops that use the following
> flow.
> 
> 1. Using the DocBook DTD, you create the text in XML using ArborText's
> Epic editor.
> 
> 2. You send that XML through ArborText's Interchange program, which
> converts the XML to MIF.
> 
> 3. You import that MIF into Frame to generate the PDF documentation.
> 
> 4. You go from Frame to WebWorks to generate the online help
> information.
> 
> Although the learning curve would be higher for us, this solution
> would give us an XML solution now instead of later.
> 
> Does anyone have experience with a solution similar to the second one?
> 
> Rick

-- Lester
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 Lester C. Smalley              Email: lsmalley@infocon.com
 Information Consultants, Inc.  Phone: 302-239-2942 FAX: 302-239-1712
 Hockessin, DE  USA  19707      WWWeb: http://www.infocon.com/
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