which is better: strct or unstrct fm for docs >200 pages

I routinely edit structured books that are several hundred pages long (and

set up applications for people in varying environments to do so). I have

edited single structured files as long as 1400+ pages. I use structured

FrameMaker for almost everything I write, even single-page letters.

Reasons often given for use of structure include:

1) Satisfying a requirement for XML delivery

2) Promoting consistency across a document set and within a document

3) Enforcing some of an organization's writing standards(such as requiring

an introductory paragraph before a figure or prohibiting lists with a

single item)

4) Allowing access to various XML tools

In addition, a properly designed structured environment simplifies many

every day editing tasks (some of which Van has already enumerated in this

thread). Some others are listed in

http://www.txstruct.com/papers/FrameUsers02.productivity.pdf.

Are the Project X writers already familiar with FrameMaker? If so, it

shouldn't take more than about a day for them to learn how to work with

structured documents. (Feel free to contact me off-list for information on

a self-study course on structured editing for users with are familiar with

the original FrameMaker user interface.)

The other concern you mention is assigning paragraph formats to cells in

imported tables. How are the tables created? How are they imported into

FrameMaker? Are they dynamically updated or is the content static once they

are inserted into the FrameMaker documents? Maintaining the formatting

within tables should be no more difficult in structured FrameMaker than it

is in unstructured FrameMaker. Formatting options may be specified in

attributes rather than paragraph/table formats, but the same table

capability is available in both user interfaces. Depending on how the

tables are created, in fact, using XML and XSLT along with a structured

environment may make it easier to move the data into FrameMaker.

--Lynne

Lynne A. Price

Text Structure Consulting, Inc.

Specializing in structured FrameMaker consulting, application development,

and training

lprice@txstruct.com http://www.txstruct.com

voice/fax: (510) 583-1505 cell phone: (510) 421-2284

I will add my experiences...

We work with and create many documents in the 300-400+ page range, in structured FrameMaker, and have no problems. If you keep the documents as FrameMaker files, then page count and document size has little or not impact on whether one should use structured or unstructured. The BIG advantage to structured documents is that the write does not have to remember formatting rules, such as which paragraph style goes to which paragraph; the formatting is all done by the EDD and the template. In a large project, using structured documents helps to maintain consistency of formatting across the document set. Also, cutting and pasting, as well as moving elements around in the structure view, is easier because it is easier to select whole elements than trying to decide exactly where a section ends, for example.

On the XML issue, be clear what Russ and Michael are talking about. If you save and open your files as FrameMaker files, file size has NO impact. At any time, if needed for OTHER purposes, you can save your structured files as XML, as Michael does.

On the other hand, Russ works in an XML workflow, meaning that each time he save his files, he save them to XML. Then opens the XML files. It is THIS back-and-forth XML workflow that can slow things down. If this type of workflow is not needed in your case, then there is nothing to worry about.

DEFINITELY push for using structured FrameMaker. As mentioned by others, a seasoned tech writer should be able to handle the change. One writer here, who had used unstructured for decades, found it relatively easy to learn structure. It is NOT a major problem....or learning curve.

For building up your case for structured FM and the plan is to use DITA, you can refer to the blogpost & demo on

"Leveraging Unstructured FM Knowledge for Authoring DITA content"

Regards,

Tarun Garg

Adobe FrameMaker Engineering

Hi m,

Structured FM is superior for nearly any kind of manually-authored document. Those who say otherwise are generally not familiar with structured FM, even though they may claim otherwise. Having said that, it is possible that a 200 page file could cause performance issues, especially if you have a complex EDD and/or a slow computer. Also, 200 pages is too long for XML import/export, even with a simple EDD and a fast computer. You didn't say whether that was a requirement, but it is something to think about even if not right now. Whether or not any of this presents a showstopper for you, I wouldn't be able to speculate... you would just have to do some experimentation. I can say for sure, though, that if it were me, I would find a way to break the content into smaller files before I would put up with unstructured documents.

Ramp-up time for structured FM really shouldn't be that long for a competent technical writer. All things considered, it is easier to use than unstructured.

Russ