Applying new templates to existing documents

[Bill Swallow]

> One option is to convert the group B documents to the templates used for the
> group A documents, including paragraph/character/table naming conventions
> and the letter page size, so that we can move forward with a single,
> consistent set of templates for all FM documents. However, this option means
> that we must identify all paragraph/character/table names in the group
> B documents, rename them with corresponding names from the group A
> templates, and then apply the group A templates to each FM file. Definitely
> a labor-intensive process unless it can be automated significantly, possibly
> with FrameScript.

Even with FrameScript you'd have to go through the majority of the
task identifying the styles that need to change and what they need to
change to, and then go through scripting the fix. It'd take about the
same amount of time (perhaps a bit more) to make that particular
change by hand. If you have many styles in play, this might be an
opportunity to pare them down as you go.

> The other option is to modify the templates currently used for the group
> B documents to obtain the needed look and feel, and then reapply those
> templates to the group B documents. The conversion effort would be reduced
> significantly, but we would still have two sets of FM templates to maintain.

You can take this route, and have something ready to go out the door
quicker. Then, when you have time or as you go, you can rename all the
styles accordingly in the template and apply it to books as you work
on them. It'd be a small up-front task when starting new revisions
that would only need to happen once per book.

> Is there a more efficient way to implement either of the options I have
> described? Are there other options for reformatting the group B documents?

Don't discount FM's means of making global changes. You can always
create a master book and import all files into it, then hit them all
at once. Just a thought.

I've been through this exercise a few times, the worst being a
complete audit of styles in use in otherwise unmanaged FM files
(imagine 27 different instances of a Body Text paragraph style all
looking the same in use within the same book). As I mentioned above,
any exercise like this is an opportunity to also pare down the number
of styles in use to just the bare essentials. It's worth the up-front
effort in the end.

-- 
Bill Swallow

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