Re: MORE - Table Sort Bug

[Dan Emory <danemory@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The problem described below, as well as the fact that sorting knocks out all
cross-references to table entries, is a classic example of how Adobe has
destroyed the aftermarket for Frame plug-ins produced by 3rd-party software
vendors. When Adobe added it's mickey-mouse table sort feature to V5.5 (it
was an afterthought by the way), they wiped out the market opportunity for
developing more sophisticated table sort API's that would give users more
options, and would not destroy cross-references.

This complaint also applies to their mickey-mouse HTML converter and many of
their filters. These types of add-on features and capabilities should be
left to 3rd-party vendors, who are willing to invest more (and better)
resources to application development. 
====================================================================
At 01:27 PM 11/23/99 -0700, Callaway, Rebecca wrote:
>Hi Framers - 
>
>We've been having some trouble with FM's ability to sort tables AT ALL.
>Anyone else suffering this?  It doesn't happen in every document, just
>sometimes "if we're lucky."
>
>We write commercial and military technical manuals, which contain Parts
>Breakdowns.  The writers do not always put the parts lists together in
>order, so may need to sort at the end of the authoring process. 
>
>For example, the final order should be:
>
>
>5
>10
>15
>20
>25
>(and so on..)
>280
>285
>290
>300
>
>But the writer may have composed it as:
>
>5
>10
>20
>30
>280
>300
>285
>25
>
>
>FrameMaker comes up with interesting results, such as:
>
>5
>10
>125
>20
>280
>25
>300
>30
>90
>45
     ====================
     | Nullius in Verba |
     ====================
Dan Emory, Dan Emory & Associates
FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML Document Design & Database Publishing
Voice/Fax: 949-722-8971 E-Mail: danemory@primenet.com
10044 Adams Ave. #208, Huntington Beach, CA 92646
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