Defining root element in conversion table

[Lynne A. Price]

Andy Lewis wrote:

>As you may remember, my problem is that when manually adding 
>RE:RootElement to the first column of my conversion table and Parent to 
>the second, the result is a NoName root element instead of the expected 
>Parent element.

Andy,
   Thank you for sending the simplified test files. I think I solved the 
mystery.

   There are two steps to creating a usable structured document from an 
unstructured one:

1. Applying a conversion table

2. Importing the desired element definitions

   In production, users typically perform these two steps in the listed 
order, using the Structure Current Document (or Structure Documents) 
command first, and then importing element definitions into the resulting 
new document (or documents). However, the steps can be performed in 
reverse. You can import element definitions into the unstructured document 
and then apply the conversion table. Doing so is convenient when testing a 
conversion table, because you can inspect the results, change the 
conversion table, and reapply it without needed to import element 
definitions each time you apply the conversion table.

   At least, it would be convenient, if it didn't affect the results. It 
seems that the RE: rule is only applied when the unstructured document has 
no element definitions.

   I stumbled on this fact by doing a Select All in your document, then 
copying and pasting the content into a new portrait document. When I 
structured the original document, the RE: rule was ignored. When I 
structured the new one, the RE: rule was applied. I then imported element 
definitions from the original file into the new one and structured that 
version. Sure enough, the RE: rule was ignored.

   Next, I created a new unstructured document of my own and a new 
conversion table. I confirmed that with this application also, the RE rule 
was only used when the unstructured document had no element definitions.

         --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