Converting Excel Tables to Structured FM Tables

[Roger Shuttleworth]

Hello Fei Min

One method that I have used in the past is to convert the Word table to text (tab-delimited). Then in structured FrameMaker (assuming you're using a CALS table model):

1. Insert the table element or equivalent, but no child elements. In CALS the table element is the *container* for the actual table.
2. With your insertion point inside the table element, paste whole text as unformatted text (Paste Special).
3. Select the whole text (double-click to the right of the table element).
4. On the Table menu, choose Convert to Text.
5. Choose the Tab option, and the tgroup (or whatever) element. Only those elements that are valid at this spot will appear as options. Choose the number of heading rows.
6. Click Convert.

Works like a charm!

Roger

Roger Shuttleworth
Technical Documentation
AV-BASE Systems Inc.
1000 Air Ontario Drive, Suite 200
London, Ontario
N5V 3S4
Tel. 519 691-0919 ext. 330
  _____  

From: Fei Min Lorente [mailto:FeiMin.Lorente at onsemi.com]
To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Sent: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:37:46 -0500
Subject: Converting Excel Tables to Structured FM Tables

I'm using structured FrameMaker 7.2 on Windows XP SP3.
  
   
  
  I have about 30 small tables, each in separate files (okay, they're
  actually OLEs in a Word document) to convert to structured FrameMaker
  (using a custom DTD) today, and I was wondering what you would recommend
  as the most efficient method using only the tools that I have at hand.
  I also have FrameScript (but haven't written any scripts) and FrameSLT
  Lite Version 2.0 beta. So far I have tried:
  
  *         Creating a blank table in FrameMaker and copying and pasting
  one cell at a time.
  
  *         Copying the whole table into FrameMaker as a tab-delimited
  block of text, then converting text to table. However, I don't get my
  table elements and have to change all of them.
  
   
  
  I'm thinking of copying all the tables into an unstructured FrameMaker
  file and running a conversion table on all of them to turn them into
  proper structured tables. Any other ideas?
  
   
  
  Fei Min
  
   
  
  -------------------------------------------------------
  Fei Min Lorente
  Senior Technical Communicator
  Medical Division
  ON Semiconductor
  feimin.lorente at onsemi.com <mailto:feimin.lorente at onsemi.com> 
  +1 519 884 9696 ext 2297 | office
  +1 519 831 4931 | mobile
  +1 519 884 0228 | fax
  http://www.onsemi.com <http://www.onsemi.com> 
  -------------------------------------------------------
  
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