Automating migration to new Frame template?

["Hom, James" <James.Hom@xxxxxxxxxx>]

We're planning to move to a new Frame template. 

I've identified five different ways to automate all/parts of the migration process (listed below).

Does anyone have experience with any of these methods? Can you share any gotchas/tips? Got any other methods I haven't identified?

I'm leaning toward the Perl-does-it-all "Method 1" right now, but if something else is better...

Thanks in advance, James

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Method 1

Do it all in Perl.

Perl script to do following:

Given a bunch of .fm files in a directory...

1. Call DZBatcher or fmbatch to save all .fm files as .mif.
2. In each .mif file...
  a. Find old paragraph catalog. Replace with new paragraph catalog.
  b. Find instances of old paragraph tag <x>. Replace with replacement paragraph tag <x'>.
  c. Repeat step b for all paragraph tags that need to be replaced.
3. Save .mif file
4. Put .mif files somewhere for writer to pick up.

Later...

1. Writer opens each .mif file (could select all, drag and drop into Frame, if he/she has enough memory)
2. Check each file in Frame for funky formatting.
3. Save each file as .fm

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Method 2

Use DZBatcher's ImportFormats command.

DOS .bat file to do the following:

Given a bunch of .fm files in a directory...

1. Scan through directory and build a text DZBatcher command file
2. Make backup copies of each .fm file (open *.fm, copy to *.fm$)
3. Send command file to DZBatcher to do the following:
  a. Open book file
  b. Open template file and all chapter and appendix files
  c. ImportFormats from template file to chapter and appendix files
  d. Update book file
  e. Save all .fm files

Later...

1. Writer opens each .fm file.
2. Change old paragraph styles to new paragraph styles. 
  a. Find first instance of an "old" paragraph tag. 
  b. Apply new style to the old styled paragraph.
  c. Use Commands>Global Update in Paragraph Designer to change all similarly tagged old paragraphs to their new style.
3. Repeat step 2. for all other "old" paragraph tags.
4. Clean up Paragraph Catalog (remove styles not used in document). Maybe use PgfWhopper?

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Method 3

Use CleanImports and some manual steps.

Manual process performed by writer (or summer intern?):

1. Install Clean Import plug-in.
2. Run Clean Import to replace "old paragraph and character tag names, table definitions, cross-reference formats, conditional text tags, master pages, reference pages, and variable definitions from the current document".
3. Get new formats from a selected template file.
4. Change old paragraph styles to new paragraph styles. 
  a. Find first instance of an "old" paragraph tag. 
  b. Apply new style to the old styled paragraph.
  c. Use Commands>Global Update in Paragraph Designer to change all similarly tagged old paragraphs to their new style.
5. Repeat step 4 for all other "old" paragraph tags.

--------------------------------
Method 4

Use FrameScript to automate previous "manual" process.

changeparaformatbatch.fsl from Rick Quatro

--------------------------------
Method 5

Caxton product (now out of business).


James Hom  |  Information Architect  |  jhom@netapp.com | 408.822.3958



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