Newbie with Questions

[Lynne A. Price]

At 05:48 AM 3/28/2006, Kevin Rusnak wrote:
>Question #1
>  Do you have to have a DTD to automate, or to create an XML application
>in Framemaker? Is a EDD only ideal for importing XML? Are they really
>the same thing, such that, when you are using Frame, you just "pick
>one"...or do they have specific uses?

Kevin,
   I'll respond to one of the questions in your message. A DTD is an XML 
construct. It defines the element and attribute types, entities, and 
notations to be used in a type (or class) of documents. An EDD is a 
FrameMaker construct. Like a DTD, it defines the element and attribute 
types to be used within a type of document. In addition, an EDD associates 
formatting with particular elements in particular contents and thus enables 
automatic formatting of structured documents. FrameMaker can create a DTD 
from an EDD and an EDD from a DTD; of course, if you create an EDD from a 
DTD, you'll have to add the formatting information manually since that 
information is not present in the DTD.
   Thus, if you want formatted structured documents, you need an EDD (or 
the programmatic equivalent).
   If you are moving XML documents into FrameMaker, or structured 
FrameMaker documents to XML, you almost always need a DTD.
         --Lynne



Lynne A. Price
Text Structure Consulting, Inc.
Specializing in structured FrameMaker consulting, application development, 
and training
lprice at txstruct.com            http://www.txstruct.com
voice/fax: (510) 583-1505      cell phone: (510) 421-2284