ExtendScript: Open XML as an FM Book

Report · May 04, 2020

I am developing a publishng application that takes externally generated XML files and opens them as FrameMaker book files. The XML file is split into separate book components according to the read/write rules file. This all works perfectly as a manual process, but I need to force FramMaker to open the XML without requesting a file name for the book, is that possible? I want to provide that name in my script but I can't find any way to set the name of the bookfile throught the API either through GetOpenDefaultParams() or by sending parameters to CallClient() for FmDispatcher. Any guidance would be very helpful.

If it's not possible I can just pre-process the XML to split it as required.

Thanks

Ian

Report · May 04, 2020

Is this non-DITA XML?

Do you have the <?FM book?> and <?FM document "fname"?> PI tags in the document you are trying to open?

As far as I'm aware, a normal XML book does not require a name. It's name is just the filename of the XML file.

Could you elaborate on that bit more?

Thanks,

Dan

Report · May 04, 2020

Hi Dan,

This is non-DITA XML. The default behaviour for this in hands-on manual mode is that a Save Book dialog pops-up at the latest save location and with nothing in the 'File name:' field. I would then add a new folder and save the book in that folder with a suitable name. I've never seen it provide a name for the book file. Book components are named according to their root element name with a numeric suffix.

Now I need to take control of this for a hands-off process where the file names are provided by an external application.

I had forgotten about the FM processing instruction and will check to see if they provide a way forward.

Thanks

Ian

Report · May 04, 2020

Hi Dan,

I re-read the documentation and there's no indication that the book processing instructions would provide a better solution than the read/write rules. I tried all options with no difference in behaviour.
I seem to remember that many years ago it was possible to open XML or SGML with the book name ready to use?

Ian