automating FrameMaker 10 + RoboHelp 9 build

[Robert Lauriston]

Update: I found ExtendScript unreliable. Scripts that worked fine for
months would stop working for no apparent reason, and it was too
inadequately documented and supported for me resolve the problems. So,
I've switched to FrameScript.

I uploaded a script to the FrameScript Users group on Yahoo that opens
a book, sets conditions for PDF, updates the book, saves as PDF, sets
conditions for online help, saves the book, runs a batch file to
generate online help (with RoboHelp), sets conditions for normal
editing, and closes the book.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/framescript-users/message/10365

On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 4:05 PM, Robert Lauriston <robert at lauriston.com> wrote:
> For future reference, I posted full details in Adobe's RoboHelp >
> FrameMaker Integration forum: http://forums.adobe.com/thread/980779
>
> On Tue, Mar 27, 2012 at 3:03 PM, Robert Lauriston <robert at lauriston.com> wrote:
>> For future reference, with minor changes,
>> <FM_INSTALL_DIR>\Samples\ScriptsAndUtilities\Conditional
>> Text\FM_Outputs_CondText.jsx that comes with FM10 handles step 2. The
>> rest isn't really relevant to this list.
>>
>> On Fri, Mar 23, 2012 at 12:12 PM, Robert Lauriston <robert at lauriston.com> wrote:
>>> I'm looking into automating a time-consuming build process and am
>>> curious if anyone has done this successfully. I know how to do it
>>> (I've done similar things in the past with DZbatcher, ANT, etc.), I
>>> just don't want to start the project if I know that it's not possible,
>>> or if these are the wrong scripting tools.
>>>
>>> 1. Windows batch file: launch FrameMaker from command line and start
>>> ExtendScript
>>>
>>> 2. FrameMaker ExtendScript: open project, set conditional text for
>>> PDF, update book, save as PDF, set conditional text for online help,
>>> update book, save
>>>
>>> 3. return to batch file, delete the contents of the Web help target
>>> directory, launch RoboHelp from command line, and start ExtendScript
>>>
>>> 4. RoboHelp ExtendScript: open RoboHelp project, update FrameMaker
>>> source, generate Web help
>>>
>>> 5. return to batch file, create .zip file from Web help target
>>> directory, launch Cygwin and start script
>>>
>>> 6. Cygwin script: cvs commit (I know it's possible to kick off a
>>> Cygwin script at the end of a batch file)