LavaCon

1. CHANGING THE ENGINE
WITHOUT STOPPING THE CAR

2. WHO’S TALKING ?
Jang F.M. Graat
Physics, Psychology, Philosophy
30+ years Tech Comms
Smart Information Design
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Self-educated professional
Automating FrameMaker

3. WHO’S TALKING ?
Jang F.M. Graat
Physics, Psychology, Philosophy
30+ years Tech Comms
Smart Information Design
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Self-educated professional
Automating FrameMaker

4. THE PROBLEM
Legacy documents
Too much to leave behind
Still alive - worth $$$

5. THE PROBLEM
Legacy documents
Too much to leave behind
Still alive - worth $$$
Content Management
Convert or rewrite
All or nothing
Changed publication track
High up-front cost

6. THE SOLUTION ?

7. THE SOLUTION ?
Non-intrusive conversion
One file at a time
Minimal style changes

8. THE SOLUTION ?
Non-intrusive conversion
One file at a time
Minimal style changes
Partial reuse options
Only when needed
Gradual transition

9. THE SOLUTION ?
Non-intrusive conversion
One file at a time
Minimal style changes
Partial reuse options
Only when needed
Gradual transition
Content management
Using a custom repository

10. STEP 1: CONVERSION

11. STEP 1: CONVERSION

12. UNSTRUCTURED ?

13. FORMAT TAGS

14. FORMAT TAGS

15. CONTENT + FORMATS

16. CONVERSION

17. Before: structure shown by formats
CONVERSION

18. CONVERSION

19. After: formats based on structure
CONVERSION

20. A NICE TRICK

21. A NICE TRICK

22. THIS IS MY TRICK

23. THIS IS MY TRICK

24. NO VISIBLE CHANGE
Before After

25. UNDER THE HOOD
Before After

26. PUBLICATION PROCESS

27. PUBLICATION PROCESS

28. PUBLICATION PROCESS

29. PUBLICATION PROCESS

30. CONVERSION
Auto-generate conversion table
Use multiple documents for a comprehensive list
Import EDD into documents
Add structure to documents
Adapt and augment conversion table
Change tag names and create hierarchy of rules
Adapt and augment structure

31. ORIGINAL DOCUMENT
A-5

32. CONVERSION TABLE
A-4

33. CONVERSION TABLE
A-4

34. STRUCTURE DOCUMENT
A-5

35. STEP 2: REUSE
Topics Maps Publications

36. CMS: ALL OR NOTHING

37. FM: USING TEXT INSETS
Flow B
Flow A
MyInsets.fm
Flow Main
MyChapter.fm

38. STRUCTURED INSETS
MyInsets.fm MyChapter.fm

39. STRUCTURED INSETS
MyInsets.fm MyChapter.fm

40. INSETPLUS

41. INSETPLUS

42. INSETPLUS

43. INSETPLUS

44. INSETPLUS

45. DITA CONREF METHOD

46. STEP 3: MANAGEMENT

47. REUSE DOCUMENTS

48. REUSE DOCUMENTS

49. REUSE DOCUMENTS

50. REUSE DOCUMENTS

51. SPAGHETTI DOCUMENTS

52. CONTAINER TOPICS

53. task
steps
step
step
step
step
step
step
step
step
step
step
step
step
step
step
step
step
step
step
warning
warning
caution
caution
notice
notice
supply
supply
supply
condition
condition
condition
closereqs
condition
condition
prelreqs
warning
caution
supply
condition

54. REPOSITORY
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
FrameMaker 10 or newer
Plug-ins: InsetPlus (+ optional FrameSLT, XRef Wizard, AXCM)
Built-in: ExtendScript ( based on JavaScript )
Repository files contain reuse items
InsetPlus pulls content into chapter files (text insets)
Chapter contains mix of reused and non-reused content
Authoring and publishing processes are not changed

55. ADOBE EXTENDSCRIPT

56. FILLING A REPOSITORY

57. FILLING A REPOSITORY

58. FILLING A REPOSITORY

59. }

60. LINKED TO REPOSITORY

61. ONGOING PROCESS

62. ONGOING PROCESS

63. CHANGING CONTENT

64. CHANGING CONTENT

65. CHANGING CONTENT
Update all insets

66. CREATING NEW BOOKS

67. CREATING NEW BOOKS

68. CREATING NEW BOOKS

69. PUBLICATION PROCESS
Repository

70. PUBLICATION PROCESS
Repository

71. CONCLUSION