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Merry_navigator01AB
Participating Frequently
May 19, 2009
Question

Best XML output Instruction Manual

  • May 19, 2009
  • 1 reply
  • 1963 views

Fellow forum members,

Can anyone point me to the best instruction manual Adobe has to offer that would show me how to convert Framemaker Documents to XML format.  I need a manual that will be written for a newbie as it relates to the process of outputting a Framemaker Structured document to XML tagged data. I am using FrameMaker Version 8.  Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

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1 reply

R
Russ Ward
Legend
May 19, 2009

Binar0101,

The only comprehensive document from Adobe is the Structure Developers Guide, installed with Frame 8 in the Documents directory. There used to be a tutorial called the XML Cookbook which was a good introduction, but I don't see it anymore. Otherwise, there are a number of third-party books on the subject.

You didn't really say what you are a "newbie" at, whether it is FrameMaker, XML, or both. You'll likely find that there is no single document that leads you through the process from start to finish, because all things considered this is a complex and highly extensible subject. Existing documentation necessarily assumes some prerequisite knowledge. Furthermore, you should expect that lots of experimentation will be required to make sense of it all. In other words, a 1, 2, 3 step procedure for conversion to XML is not really possible, hence is something that you will not find. Having said that, if you choose an existing standard such as DITA or DocBook, the path might be more straightforward.

Another important point that adds complexity is the consideration of your end goals. You should have some reason for conversion to XML, a reason which plays heavily into decisions made when building the conversion process. In other words, the techniques you use will vary according to your specific needs, especially if you have developed a clear understanding of the role you intend the XML to play. No "off-the-shelf" document would be able to anticipate those needs... it is up to you to take the building blocks, figure out how they fit together, then build something that works for you.

Russ

M
Merry_navigator01ABAuthor
Participating Frequently
May 20, 2009

Russ,

Thanks a lot for your post. I too have noticed that Adobe has not updated the XML Cookbook for version 8 or 9.  This is a shame.

I think of myself as a "newbie" as it relates to XML output from FrameMaker.  Otherwise, my skills with FrameMaker are pretty good.  The reason I'm trying to grab a handle on the fastest way to learn XML output from FrameMaker is because I interviewed for a job that requires I output to XML a bunch of DoD manuals that were structurally and unstructurally authored in past versions of FrameMaker.  I agree with you that "all things considered this is a complex and highly extensible subject". Nevertheless, right now my focus is just to figure out what STEP ONE is for the task I have at hand. Once I figure this out, I'm thinking I would at least know what the proper starting point in my case is for learning the complex subject of XML output from FrameMaker. In short, I don't want to waste time learning stuff that is outside of the task I have at hand.

You mention DocBook, currently I don't know how it ties in with XML output from FrameMaker. Therefore I'm going to make learning about DocBook my STEP ONE for right now, unless you or someone out there in this forum tells me I should focus my learning effort on something else first. Again thanks for your post.

R
Russ Ward
Legend
May 20, 2009

Binar0101,

I really think that XML Cookbook would have been excellent for you to understand the basic pieces of XML import/export. It's really just a translation process and Frame needs a bunch of pieces to make it work, mainly an EDD, a DTD/schema, and read/write rules. Once these are in place, there is only one step and that is File > Save As    The thing about the DITA and DocBook standards is that these pieces are already built for you, so if you are willing to use their structure definition, there is less that you need to do in Frame to make it work.

Do you have an older copy of the cookbook? I would highly recommend it, at least for a quick intro. I bet it could be made to work for FM 8 or 9 if you reformat all the files for the new version and are willing to search around for any menu paths which may have changed through the versions.

Russ

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