Version and Build Questions

[Chantel Brathwaite]

Hello everyone,

I'm fairly new to this list and hope that you can help me.  I'm using 
version 7.2 of FM.  I am creating 5 different versions of the same 
document.  Since most of the information in each document is the same, 
I'm maintaining one set of files (one file for each chapter and each 
appendix) and placing conditional text in the areas that are 
version-specific.  However, there are some files that should appear in 
one version of the documentation, but not in another.  For example, 
AppendixF.fm might appear in one document, but not another.  Is there a 
way to indicate that when a specific version of a document is created, 
which files should be included, or would I have to handle that manually 
by adding/removing the document in the book file?

Also, I was wondering if any of you have specific suggestions about how 
to handle different builds of the documentation, when the versions of 
the document are different.  For example, I need to create 5 different 
versions of the same documentation for build 5.0 of the software.  I do 
this using conditional text and export each version to PDF.  When I'm 
finished, I save the document that I used to create the different 
versions, plus all of the PDFs to CVS and tag it as the final release 
for build 5.0 of the software.  A few months later, I might start 
working on build 6.0 of the software, so I start the process again.  Is 
there a way to track builds in FrameMaker (maybe MORE conditional text) 
or is the way that I've been doing this - or, in your experience is 
using CVS to track the build, the best way to handle this?

Thanks!

-- 
Chantel Brathwaite
Technical Writer
Cole Engineering Services Inc.
Web: http://www.coleengineering.com
Email: Chantel.Brathwaite at coleengineering.com
Phone: 407-207-1773 ext. 4138