Structured vs Unstructured Frame

[Lynne A. Price]

At 07:36 AM 4/28/2008, Scott White wrote:
>So getting to my question: what are the limits to structured frame
>documents?
>My initial understanding is that structured frame documents are just
>that - structured. However, it seems I have the ability to design my
>pages, move paragrapgh tags here and there, override initial settings,
>and layout my catalogs and fliers as I would normally in an
>unstructured document. It also seems I can re-open that structured
>document as an unstructured document and go about my business that way
>as well.
>The bottom line is I need to be able to create all my pages like
>before, book my files and create an index, and panatone colors, and
>create print-ready pdfs for our printers. Is there any reason I
>couldn't do this with structured documents? I need to assure our
>clients that this .mif import will work for them too.
>What are the benefits, with my given needs, for running structured
>frame documents?

Scott,
   A structured flow consists of a hierarchy of elements, each consisting 
of other elements, text, or a special FrameMaker formatting object such as 
a marker, cross-reference, or anchored frame. The flow is still part of a 
FrameMaker document and all the formatting (master pages, paragraph 
formats, etc.) of an unstructured document are still relevant. Formatting 
rules in the document (usually defined through an EDD) apply paragraph and 
character formats to "container" elements; but you can override that 
formatting.

   Your comment that you can "re-open that structured document as an 
unstructured document" leaves me a bit confused. Yes, if you open a 
structured document under the original user interface, FrameMaker will 
(after warning you) remove the element structures from the document, 
leaving an unstructured flow that you can work with as you would any other 
unstructured flow. Under the structured user interface, the command 
Special > Remove Structure from Flow has the same effect. Are you opening 
the structured document in the original user interface? If not, how are you 
opening it as an unstructured document? Remember that you can use the 
structured user interface to create both structured and unstructured documents.

   Yes, you can read MIF, creates books, indices, and PDF files in the 
structured user interface just as you can in the original user interface 
and use these tools and techniques with both structured and unstructured 
documents. Furthermore, you can read the same MIF files that you did with 
the unstructured user interface; the result won't be structured, though. 
For a MIF file to produce elements, the elements must be defined in the MIF.

   Benefits of structured documents include:

1) Automatic, context-based formatting of paragraphs and text ranges. To 
generate MIF, it may be easier to indicate the element structure than each 
paragraph and character format change.

2) Navigating through the document and manipulating it by elements, making 
operations such as rearranging sections easy to perform.

3) Enforcement of some of an organization's content standards (for example, 
that a chapter must start with an introduction, or that a list must contain 
at least two items), through element definitions that specify the elements 
that can and that must occur in an element's content.

4) A context-sensitive Element Catalog window that helps the user create 
valid documents.

5) A document model consistent with that of XML and SGML that makes it 
possible to move information between structured FM documents and XML or SGML.

         --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