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feline_1973
Inspiring
August 16, 2013
Question

Has the ExtendScript documentation been updated for FrameMaker 11?

  • August 16, 2013
  • 1 reply
  • 1864 views

I have Technical Communicator Suite 4, and would like to write a simple script to automate the create of HTML Help for a FrameMaker book file.to

(i.e. to automate the process of me opening the book file, and selecting File > Publish)

The Publish command is new for TCS4 / FM11, however, so I don't think it's documented in the FM10 material...

Within my script, I guess I need to know how to select values for the 4 drop-down fields in the Publish dialog? (i.e. Output type, source file, and path to the robohelp templates)

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1 reply

F
feline_1973Author
Inspiring
August 16, 2013

I'm in the ExtendScript Toolkit CS6 Object Model Viewer...

I've got the Book object selected... am I right in thinking that the "Properties and Methods" window then shows me what "methods" I can use with a Book object?
(And that these more or less correspond with menu items in the FrameMaker GUI?)
Because I don't see a method I can use with a Book that corresponds to File > Publish?  (Unless it's the Export method?  Or is that corresponding to Save As?)

4everJang
4everJang
Legend
August 16, 2013

Feline,

Not all commands are available as methods, and I would expect the Publish command to be one of them.Some menu items are implemented as separate clients and can only be accessed through CallClient. But they will have to have a client calling mechanism implemented to respond, and you would have to know the syntax. And even then it might not work due to missing or incorrect info (or bugs in the callback mechanism). As an example, I tried to automate the conversion of files to structured FrameMaker and the one command I needed does not repond to the CallClient method (which is even used as the single example for CallClient in the documentation). Frustrating, to say the least.

I am afraid you will not be able to get this working, unless somebody else on this forum knows how to call any arbitrary menu command from ExtendScript.

Sorry if this sabotages your plans

Jang

F
feline_1973Author
Inspiring
August 16, 2013

Thanks Jang

I thought the whole idea with this Framemaker Scripting was "You can write a script to do anything you can do in the FrameMaker GUI" ... i.e. if you can click on it, you can script it! Thanks how the seminars sell it. Maybe they're being a bit optimistic

I'm having a rummage in the FDK 11 documents too... there is a "what's new in FM11" section, but I don't see anything mentioned for that Publish command.

Basically, what my manager has said they would like to happen is:
I check my frameMaker files into their software build system, and we have a script to auto-generate .chm files for the HTML Help.

I thought I'd be able to do this if I could write a simple script which basically is just a macro of be opening a book and clicking File > Publish...    ? 

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