EDDs for MIL-STD-38784

[Combs, Richard]

Michael Johnson wrote: 
 
> Right now we are looking for an econmonical way to use produce
> printable PDF files from the SGML.  Things are not looking too rosy
> with Arbortext.  It looks like we need to spend a lot more money on
> software.  We understand Datalogics Composer does the best job, and can
> deal with FOSIs and change pages the best.  However, the price is
> $50,000 to buy and $9,000 a year to maintain it.  The Arbortext
> solution is called Print Composer.  It is far less expensive (about
> $1,400 a year including maintenance) but using it requires that we
> tinker with the print FOSI a great deal to get it to work.  We may even
> have to write our own print FOSI.
> 
> Although I am no expert, it seems to me that FrameMaker is the least
> expensive solution.  As I understand it, the Framemaker EDD is a
> combination of a FM template and the DTD.  I think that if we created
> our own Air Force 38784 EDD, we would not have to buy any more
> software to produce the printable PDF files.  Am I correct?  If so, it
> would be even better if we could find a commercial version of the Air
> Force 38784 EDD.

Well, my knowledge is pretty limited and theoretical, but I don't see any replies, so I'll offer this: Your understanding is correct. Since you have the DTD, FrameMaker can produce a basic EDD from it. You have to do some work on it to end up with the formatting you want. But you don't need any additional tools and you don't need to find a ready-to-use EDD (although it would save you time if someone who's producing docs using the same DTD and formatted the way yours need to be formatted could provide their EDD). 

Somewhere in your FM installation (or at adobe.com) you should be able to find the "Structured Developer's Guide," which should help you get started -- or at least understand what you're getting into. ;-) 

HTH, and someone with actual experiences supplements or corrects this. 

Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
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rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-903-6372
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