RE: Top 10 mistakes unstructured FrameMaker Users make in content before translation

["Maxwell Hoffmann" <mhoffmann -at- globalizationpartners -dot- com>]

Keith,

Technically speaking, "no", Structured FrameMaker won't automatically take
care of or prevent all or most of these mistakes. (Nor will any other XML
editor that I'm aware of). Example: markers in mid-Word: DITA rules
generally allow for the <indexterm> element to be inserted anywhere in <p>.
I am not aware of an easy set of rules that would prevent an index in
mid-word. 

Unanchored frames in the margin and textlines within anchored frames are
stripped out when files are saved to XML. Also, textlines will produce an
error message when saving to XML as they are illegal objects. Most
structured FrameMaker users move to the best practice of keyed tables under
illustrations to indicate key features.

Most of the formatting issues (single line page headers, side heads with too
narrow columns) can occur in either structured or unstructured FrameMaker.
Or in any other publishing product that uses style sheets for that matter.

NOTE: nothing in the blog is a "slam" or criticism of FrameMaker. Most
publishing habits evolve in an English-only (or source language-only)
environment, and concerns about translation and text expansion are often an
afterthought. I hope my blog will help cure that.

_________________________ 

Maxwell  Hoffmann
Director, Document Globalization Practice
Globalization Partners International (GPI)    -- direct: 503.336-5952 
skype: maxwell.hoffmann
Follow GPI on Twitter: http://twitter.com/GPITranslates
Follow me on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/maxwellhoffmann


-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Hood [mailto:klhra -at- yahoo -dot- com] 
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 8:07 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com; mhoffmann -at- globalizationpartners -dot- com
Subject: RE: Top 10 mistakes unstructured FrameMaker Users make in content
before translation

I haven't read everything in this thread.  Just out of curiosity, does
Structured FM automagically take care of these "mistakes" or prevent them
somehow?



--- On Thu, 3/25/10, Maxwell Hoffmann <mhoffmann -at- globalizationpartners -dot- com>
wrote:

> From: Maxwell Hoffmann <mhoffmann -at- globalizationpartners -dot- com>
> Subject: RE: Top 10 mistakes unstructured FrameMaker Users make in content
before translation
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 7:52 PM
> FYI -- Rick Quatro of Carmen
> Publishing wrote a FrameScript script to solve
> the marker problem (e.g. search for markers and move them
> to beginning or
> end of word). Rick has posted the script at:
>
http://frameautomation.com/2010/03/20/move-markers-to-the-beginning-of-words
> /
> 
> I found Rick's posting in response to my post on this topic
> on Linked In
> under the "Friends of FrameMaker" Group.
> 
> _________________________ 
> 
> Maxwell  Hoffmann
> Director, Document Globalization Practice
> Globalization Partners International (GPI)    -- direct:
> 503.336-5952 
> skype: maxwell.hoffmann
> Follow GPI on Twitter: http://twitter.com/GPITranslates
> Follow me on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/maxwellhoffmann
> 
[snip]

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