Database Publishing with FrameMaker

[Dan Emory <danemory@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Stability is the absolute first essential ingredient for successful database
publishing, where very large files and books are the norm.

It might interest you to know that, for database publishing, I'm still using
FM+SGML V5.1.1 on a Windows 3.1 platform, even though UniMerge also runs on
Win9x/NT, as well as Unix platforms. Although UniMerge can (theoretically at
least) be used with structured documents, I don't use it that way for
database publishing. The reason I use FM+SGML V5.1.1 rather than FrameMaker
V5.1.1 is that FM+SGML is far more stable than FrameMaker, even for
unstructured documents, and seems to do a much better job of releasing memory.

The reason I haven't moved up to FM+SGML V5.5.x is that I tried, and found
that the new version was meta-unstable for database publishing applications.
I was a Beta test site for FM+SGML 5.5, and discovered during the Beta phase
that it was unreliable. When the released version came out, the problems
were still there, and have remained there through the first three bug releases.

As you probably know, Adobe never put out a logo-compliant FM+SGML 5.1.2
release for use with WIN95/NT, so I'm stuck. I don't really want to stay on
a Win3.1 platform for database publishing, but at this point, I have no
choice. I can't move up to Win9x/NT until Adobe cleans up the bugs in
FM+SGML 5.5.x. My dilemma explains, to a large degree, the harshness of my
criticism of the V5.5 release on the Framers list.

A successful software product must be scalable--stability at the small
document level doesn't prove much about its scalability. The V5.5 release
fails in large-scale environments for both structured and unstructured
documents. Yet that's the kind of environment that is typical in the big
license-holders, who are the backbone of the market for Frame products. If
they begin to desert FrameMaker, its demise is certain, and we all lose.

One of the shortcomings of the Brad Framers list is that there are very few
active participants from the big license holders. We need their viewpoint,
and it might be worthwhile to recruit them to join and actively participate
on New Framers. 
           

 


Dan Emory
Dan Emory & Associates
FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML Document Design
and Database Publishing Specialists

Voice/Fax: 949-722-8971
E-Mail: danemory@primenet.com
10044 Adams Ave. #208
Huntington Beach, CA 92646


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