FM8 DITA - Variables converting to text when generate book

[_Kevin_Lamb_]

I am using the built in DITA functionality for FM8. When I convert my .ditamap to a FM document (using the "Build FM Document From DITA Map" function) the document is fine including variables.

However, when I try to create a FM Book from a .ditamap (using the "Build FM DITABook from DITA Map file" function) the book generates and appears normal, however all of my user variables have been converted to text.

I have tried defining my variables (as: entity "CorpName" is fm variable;) in the book.rules.txt file with no luck.

Any ideas?

Thank you,
- Kevin

[_Scott_Prentice_]

FM variables round trip as entities in XML files, but entities don't survive an XSL transformation .. which is what builds a book from a DITA map. So .. there's no way to get variables into the resulting FM files (using the built-in FM8 DITA).

DITA-FMx provides the "Prepare Variables" and "Restore Variables" commands which hide variables form the XSLT process and allow them to live on in the resulting FM files.

http://leximation.com/dita-fmx/

Cheers,

...scott

Scott Prentice
Leximation, Inc.
www.leximation.com