Importing element definition from an EDD into a template - does not work

Report · Oct 12, 2011

FM 10.0.1 German on Windows XP SP3.

When importing the element definitions from an existing EDD into an existing template, FrameMaker converts the template into a new EDD.

So the element definitions which are correctly defined do not appear in the template.

The highest level element is than ElementCatalog in the template and not the higherst lvel element defined in the EDD.

In FM9 this was no issue.

Any help is appreciated, I have a deadline and must do some changes in the EDD.

Best Regards

Thomas

Report · Oct 12, 2011

Thomas,

Not to be belittling, but are you sure you are doing the import correctly. It sounds as if you are importing the EDD file as a file, that is a text inset.

With the EDD and the template open, select the template, then select File > Import > Element Definitions.

NOTE you cannot do this by clicking the Import button that is on the toolbar. THAT button imports a file, NOT the file's element definitions.

Regards,

Van

Report · Oct 12, 2011

Van,

I am sure I am doing it right like I did it the past 10 years in FM6+sgml, Fm7, FM8, FM9 and now in FM10, File > Import > Element Definitions.

I checked with another different EDD and it worked as always. The "defective EDD" behaves like a Meta EDD.

So I have no clue what happend to my EDD.

I exported the element definition from my working template to an EDD which worked, but unfortunately all the Metatags are now in German and I need them in English (Adobe has localized the FM Meta EDD - grr)

Report · Oct 12, 2011

Thomas,

In your original post, you said:

When importing the element definitions from an existing EDD into an existing template, FrameMaker converts the template into a new EDD.

So, your starting EDD, the "existing EDD," must still be intact. So, which EDD is defective? What do you mean by meta EDD?

Open the "existing EDD", the EDD to FIRST tried to import into your template. I am assuming this is the one with the English tags. Check that it validates. Then open a good, clean template file and try the import again. If all goes well, you should see just the message that the import is complete. Save the updated template under a different name, so as not to destroy the original template file. Check that it functions as it should.

I do not have version 10 of FrameMaker. But importing element definitions is so simple and straightforward, I have a difficult time believing that it does not work in version 10, unless the EDD file is some how corrupted.

Van

Report · Oct 12, 2011

Sorry Van, I ment meta template not meta edd. It is the template FM uses to create an EDD from scratch. And my "defective EDD" behaves like that.

If I import the element definitions into a template, I can use the template to write an EDD.

But your tip to validate the EDD brought me on the track - the EDD showed some minor errors when importing the definitions into the template (such things like "element referenced but not defined")

After correcting such errors in the EDD - simsalabim it works as usally. This behaviour I have never observed with FM 9, the import of element definitions worked although there were these minor errors.

Thanks for your support!

Report · Oct 12, 2011

Ok - I think I have it , the EDD showed some minor errors when importing the definitions into the template (such things like "element referenced but not defined")

After correcting such errors in the EDD - simsalabim it works as usally. This behaviour I have never observed with FM 9, the import of element definitions worked although there were these minor errors.

Report · Oct 12, 2011

Thomas,

Any chance you held the Ctrl or Shift key down when importing element definitions from the "defective EDD"? Normally, when you import element definitions, FM checks whether the source document is an EDD. If not, it copies the internal element catalog from the source document into the destination document. This case covers importing element definitions from a template into an existing document.

If the source document is an EDD, instead FM interprets the content of the document to build a new set of element definitions in the destination document.

However, if you are working with multiple metatemplates, you may want to import the internal element catalog from an EDD using a desired metatemplate into an existing EDD using a different metatemplate. For example, you may want to convert an English EDD to a German one, upgrade an EDD from an earlier version of FM to a later one, or use a custom metatemplate that changes the formatting from the original metatemplate or adds additional elements for internal documentation. To import metatemplate definitions, import element definitions from an EDD using the desired metatemplate into the EDD you want to update, but hold down the Ctrl or Shift key when you click Import (or press Enter).

Or, is there any chance that the contents of a metaEDD were appended to the contents of your defective EDD?

--Lynne

Report · Oct 12, 2011

Thomas,

Did you happen to save the defective EDD? Can you reproduce the incorrect behavior? If so, I'd be interested in seeing the file.

--Lynne

Report · Oct 13, 2011

Lynne,

yes I could save the "defective" EDD and yes I can reproduce the behavior.

You just need to add an element definition in your EDD which is not

referenced or/and reference to an element definition which does not exist

in the EDD. When importing from such a prepared EDD to a template FM10

will drop some messages in the FrameMaker Log and states that the

Elementcatalog Manager is complete.

Form me it is a bug, if something is wrong in the EDD FM should say

import not possible and do nothing on the template. FM9 ignores such

errors in the EDD.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Best Regards

Thomas Zeisig

From: Lynne Price <forums@adobe.com>

To: "Th. Zeisig" <t.zeisig@multitest.com>

Date: 12.10.2011 23:56

Subject: Importing element definition from

an EDD into a template - does not work

Re: Importing element definition from an EDD into a template - does not

work

created by Lynne Price in FrameMaker Structured - View the full discussion

Thomas,

Did you happen to save the defective EDD? Can you reproduce the

incorrect behavior? If so, I'd be interested in seeing the file.

--Lynne

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Report · Oct 13, 2011

Thomas,

No question the behavior you describe is a bug. However, I am unable to duplicate it. I created an EDD with two element definitions:

Element (Container): doc

Valid as the highest-level element.

General rule: (<TEXT> | a)*

Element (Container): b

General rule: <TEXT>

When I imported element definitions from this EDD into a new portrait document, FM reports that element a is referenced but not defined and that b is defined but not referenced. However, with all elements listed, the element catalog shows a, b, and doc. The metatemplate elements are not available.

I wonder if this is a language-dependent problem. Is your EDD German or English? What about your user interface?

Can you send me a short EDD that fails as you've described?

Thanks,

--Lynne

Report · Oct 13, 2011

Lynne,

EDD is english (Version FM7.0), Interface language is German.

Maybe it´s a localization issue.

I have attached a captivate demo pdf so you can see what happens and the

defective EDD.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Best Regards

Thomas Zeisig

From: Lynne Price <forums@adobe.com>

To: "Th. Zeisig" <t.zeisig@multitest.com>

Date: 13.10.2011 14:12

Subject: Importing element definition from

an EDD into a template - does not work

Re: Importing element definition from an EDD into a template - does not

work

created by Lynne Price in FrameMaker Structured - View the full discussion

Thomas,

No question the behavior you describe is a bug. However, I am unable to

duplicate it. I created an EDD with two element definitions:

Element (Container): doc

Valid as the highest-level element.

General rule: (

When I imported element definitions from this EDD into a new portrait

document, FM reports that element a is referenced but not defined and that

b is defined but not referenced. However, with all elements listed, the

element catalog shows a, b, and doc. The metatemplate elements are not

available.

I wonder if this is a language-dependent problem. Is your EDD German or

English? What about your user interface?

Can you send me a short EDD that fails as you've described?

Thanks,

--Lynne

Replies to this message go to everyone subscribed to this thread, not

directly to the person who posted the message. To post a reply, either

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the right, click the Stop Email Notifications link.

Start a new discussion in FrameMaker Structured by email or at Adobe

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Report · Oct 13, 2011

Thomas,

The attachment did not come through. Can you send the EDD to me directly? lprice@txstruct.com. Thanks.

--Lynne

Report · Oct 14, 2011

Thomas,

Thank you for sending the files.

I opened Defective_Train.edd.fm in FM 10.0.1.402 (English user interface).

Report · Oct 14, 2011

Sorry about the incomplete message ...

I started to say that I opened the EDD you sent and imported its element definitions into a new portrait document. As expected, a log file reported elements that were defined and not referenced and that were referenced and not defined. The element catalog shows elements that are defined in the EDD, not the metatemplate elements.

Do you have the FM 10.0.1 patch installed? If not, maybe the user interface language is somehow affecting processing.

Import Element Definitions looks at the source document. If the source document is an EDD, it interprets the content of the document to build a new set of element documents. If not, it copies the element catalog of the source document into the destination document.

If you wind up with metatemplate elements in the destination document, then FM is not recognizing that the source document is an EDD. It does so by confirming that the source document's element catalog contains the EDD elements. And it recognizes an EDD element by its Comments (which allows metatemplates to by localized).

It is possible to have a document that you think is an EDD but FM does not recognize as such (if the document's element definitions do not contain all the metatemplate definitions or the Comments do not match). However, FM recognizes your document as an EDD, because it wouldn't report EDD errors in a log file otherwise. Like you, I would be very surprised if FM 10 changed this basic EDD processing, or if it became dependent on the user interface language.

If you have a repeatable sequence of steps that creates this situation under the latest patch to FM 10, I recommend that you report the problem to Adobe.

--Lynne