Advice for Single-Sourcing

I have seen the future and it works. We have just finished our first single-sourcing project using mif2go to convert FrameMaker source files to HTML Help *.chm files. These files are also the source of our printed user guide AND a hyperlinked PDF of the user guide placed on the distribution CD. There was considerable once-off pain setting up conversion templates (including CSS files) and conversion options but our next project will be much faster. The converted files DO NOT require ANY hand tweaking -- we just hand over to the release people to put the *.chm file on the installer CD. Our testing and support people are rapt, and consider the new help far better than the old help. An outsider would have no inkling that the help was produced in this way.

Finger, Hedley. InFrame (2002). Articles>Content Management>Single Sourcing

Creating PDF Files from FrameMaker Documents

An issue that has come up over and over again on several FrameMaker and Acrobat/PDF email lists as well on the corresponding Adobe User-to-User forums is that of creation of PDF files. FrameMaker 5.5.6 and 6 have what looks like a convenient feature that is supposed to allow you to create PDF files via simply saving the document as a PDF file. I have gone on record as advising end-users not to use this approach for reliable creation of PDF files from FrameMaker documents under Windows and MacOS with FrameMaker 6 and earlier. Why do I most vociferously offer this advice and why doesn't the problem get fixed? And how SHOULD you create PDF files from FrameMaker?

Isaacs, Dov. InFrame. Design>Publishing>Online>Adobe Acrobat

FrameMaker: Easy to Learn

I'd like to vote in favor of dispelling the MYTH that FrameMaker is difficult to learn.

Muller, Rita. InFrame. Articles>Software>Document Design>Adobe FrameMaker

InFrame

InFrame is the independent electronic magazine devoted to Adobe FrameMaker. Its hope is to provide the FrameMaker community with a regular source of tips, information, and idea exchange.

Hays, Dennis. InFrame. Journals>TC>Document Design>Adobe FrameMaker

Instructions for installing Adobe PS 4.26 for Windows 95/98 And Attaching it to Acrobat Distiller for use with FrameMaker 5.5x, with Acrobat 3.0x  

Instructions for installing Adobe PS 4.26 for Windows 95/98 and attaching it to Acrobat Distiller for use with FrameMaker 5.5x.

Halva, Wade C. InFrame (1998). Articles>Software>Document Design>Adobe FrameMaker

The Leap from Heck

A technical writer...hey aren't those like the guys who wrote the manual for the Quantum Leap Accelerator?

Tipple, Mark. InFrame. Humor>Writing>Technology>Technical Writing

Single-Sourcing from FrameMaker 5.5.6 to ForeHelp Premier 2000

This article centers on a single-source documentation process that involves authoring structured, chunked documentation in Adobe FrameMaker 5.5.6 and converting it 'just in time' to a WinHelp online help system using ForeHelp Premier 2000.

Snavely, Deborah. InFrame (2000). Articles>Software>Document Design>Adobe FrameMaker

Thoughts About On-Line Help  

Shovelware is becoming the norm in computer software documentation. Many companies no longer furnish printed books with their products, and it’s usually impossible to produce (from the on-line help files) a reasonable facsimile of a coherently organized, double-sided, printed book with page numbers, running headers and footers, table of contents, glossary, and multilevel subject index.

Emory, Dan. InFrame (2000). Articles>Documentation>Help

Webworks Publisher Tutorial: Better Jumps to Topic Titles  

By default Webworks Publisher uses file names and paragraph numbers as hyperlink targets, e. g. <a href='filename.html#55555'>. Most web browsers try to position the paragraph with the corresponding name anchor <a name='55555'> at the top of the screen if possible. If you jump to the top of a scrollable topic, any content above the title line (e.g. navigation graphics) is hidden. There are a few easy countermeasures.

Muller-Hillebrand, Michael. InFrame (2002). Design>Content Management>Web Design>Adobe FrameMaker

WebWorks Publisher Tutorial: Useful Meta Tags  

If you are using Webworks Publisher to create HTML pages which will be published for the WWW, you may want to place additional useful meta tags in your pages to be found and indexed by search engines and thus be found by interested persons.

Muller-Hillebrand, Michael. InFrame (2002). Design>Content Management>Web Design>Adobe FrameMaker