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A
Anonymous
October 11, 2011
Question

Can I update XML files in FrameMaker?

  • October 11, 2011
  • 2 replies
  • 614 views

I am using FrameMaker 8.  I inherited some XML files with no history to go on, such as in which program they were created or how to generate output from them.  But I suspect they may have been created in Structured FrameMaker.  Could you help me with the following questions?

  • Is it feasible to think that the files were created in FrameMaker?  I also noticed that in each file, there is information about the file:  Author, Publisher, Copyright.  (Unfortunately the author is no longer with the company).  I have seen this type of information in some other structured FM files I inherited.
  • If I use FrameMaker to edit them, is there are certain way to go about that?  I have not worked with XML files in Frame before.
  • The files are in many separate folders, each with its own art folder and .ditamap file.  How do I generate a CHM file from these files, which comprise the User Guide?

Thank you!

Erin

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

ScottPrentice
ScottPrentice
Inspiring
October 12, 2011

Hi Erin...

As Russ indicates .. it sounds like you may have DITA XML files. To confirm this, open one of them in Notepad (or other text editor) and take a look at the "DOCTYPE" header information. If the header looks something like this ..

<!DOCTYPE dita PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DITA Composite//EN" "ditabase.dtd">

.. then you're in luck. FM8 did ship with basic DITA support, so it should open and look reasonably good. When you open a DITA (or any XML) file, you'll likely be prompted to select a structure application .. choose one called "DITA-Topic" (or something similar).

If it is DITA and you plan to do some serious authoring and publishing, you may want to look into using DITA-FMx ..

     http://leximation.com/dita-fmx

If it's not DITA, you'll need to find or create a structure application in order to edit the files. As Russ says .. that's a bit beyond the scope of this forum. You'll either need to do lots of reading, or hire a consultant to get you pointed in the right direction.

Let us know what you find out.

Cheers,

...scott

Scott Prentice

Leximation, Inc.

www.leximation.com

A
Anonymous
October 12, 2011

Hi Scott and Russ,

Thanks for the information. I checked, and my files are DITA XML. I also found out they were created with XMetal, which I don’t have. But it sounds like I may be able to update the files in FrameMaker. I have some information to go on now, but may check back in here if I encounter stumbling blocks.

Erin

R
Russ Ward
Legend
October 12, 2011

Hi Erin,

The answer to your general question is "yes," although it may or may not be a significant amount of effort to get it up and working. To open XML files in FrameMaker (properly), you need a structured application that can translate the XML into something that is author-friendly, like a normal FM document. This can take lots of time and know-how to set up.

Having said that, your post implies that these may be valid DITA files, in which case FM has built-in support. The <author>, etc. are standard parts of a DITA prolog. I'm not sure about DITA support in FM8 though... you might need to buy the DITA-FMx plugin from www.leximation.com. Somebody with more DITA/FM knowledge would have to confirm that. Anyway, with built-in support and valid files, you should be able to just open them up and they will at least render using the default templates, allowing you to edit them. Then, I think you should be able to generate CHM from any of the normal methods, such as a Quadralay or Omni Systems application. Or, you could probably use the DITA toolkit, especially if the DITAmap files are in good shape.

All things considered, you have lots of options, but there is some amount of complexity here that will be daunting for a new structured FM user and no one could possibly guide you through the whole process with a forum reply. My suggestion is that you start learning about structured Frame, XML, and DITA, and work your way into this. It could take some time.

One other thing... if these files are all valid DITA, you have lots of choices for an editor, not just FM, whether or not they were originally created in FM. Many XML tools have OTS support for rendering and processing DITA files, hence the appeal of using the DITA standard. I'm not a big DITA fan but the fact that you are starting with a standard may be of benefit to you in this case, at least with getting started.

Russ

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