Database tool

[Adam – CMENG]

Hello everybody,

I am curious if Adobe or some 3rd party offers some database tool, that could offer me complete control of usage of inputs (images, primary framemaker documents) across the various publications in the projects.

We usually use one source (image, framemaker doc) „imported by reference“ to various publications and I want to know which publication will be affected by the change in the primary document.

So does exist some tool, which can offer me this overview?

Thank you.

Adam

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Like you want a list of all docs that contain a specific image or text inset being used? I don't think I've heard of anything like that.

[Adam – CMENG]

Yes something like that.

I can see all insets here in this document. But I want to see it from the opposite side....from side of the primary source.
As you can see below I can open the source document from the inset window....but is there some possibility how to find out to which documents is the primary document linked?

Let´s focus on text insents...forget images insets.

Some database SW like Arbortext Windchill offer that solution.

I don´t know the Adobe Publishing Server functionality...maybe that could be solution...

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I suspect you'd need some sort of structured CMS to manage this sort of thing.

[Adam – CMENG]

Do you have any recommendations for suitable software?

[Winfried Reng]

Hi,

Klaus Göbel, who is also a very active ExtendScript developer, created this script which checks where a specific text inset is used.

https://4xscripts.com/en/scripts/whereusedtextinsets

Is this what you need?

Best regards, Winfried

[Stefan Gentz · Accepted solution]

Yes, like @Jeff_Coatsworth said, this is a typical task for a CCMS specialized on technical content with structured content like Adobe Experience Manager Guides.

[Adam – CMENG]

Thank you Stefan. I will look at it!

[Bob_Niland]

Where the Imported By Reference object is just a normal file, there's no simple way to track where-used. Even the file system only knows that FM requested it, and not for what document.

A stewardship convention can be very helpful on this. In a shop I managed, the scheme already in place was: imported objects were all assigned the next available accession number when created (and the number, description, date & author were logged in a simple master text file that had a UI for the purpose). The files were the number.type, e.g. 12345.tif, 12345.txt, etc.

Documents that imported such objects were required to have a discrete, but visible copy of that number near the object on the page. This could also be done via invisible text if necessary (making it invisible, but searchable). Generated PDFs all ended up in a specific enterprise hierarchy.

If it were necessary to find all the documents that invoked a given object, a PDF search of the hierarchy would discover them (and a few random instances of the same number strings, to be sure). This scheme even works for Copy Into Document objects, which is generally unwise.

[FrameMaker-dk]

This is probably where the FrameMaker Project tool should have been the right answer. Only it is still not useful for this kind of thing.