Unstructured to Structured: Question about retaining pragraph formats

[Chris Despopoulos]

Jang, I think we're in agreement.  I wasn't suggesting format rules over formats stored in catalogs.  I was only saying that the formatting *triggers* have to be stored in the EDD.  Maybe I didn't make the point clearly, but that was what I meant to say.  I personally prefer to use formats stored in the template catalogs, rather than format rules in the EDD.  Even for something as simple as changing from numbered to bulleted lists, I'd rather have individual pgf formats for each instance I have in mind.  Then, if I want to change the look of the output, it's typical FrameMaker work -- import a different set of formats.  Since they all must have the same names in the old and new template, import formats works very well.  (As you described below)


It's hard to force users not to make local formatting changes.  But in this case, if they do they have to understand they're not using the system correctly.  If they really need that format change, then you have no choice but to implement its *trigger* through the EDD.  That's the only way to bring them back to using the system correctly.  In the ideal XML world, there's no formatting effect that doesn't correspond to a structural declaration (or a specific attribute in the structure).  The ideal may never be achieved, but trying for it is always appreciated...

cud


JANG SAID:
=============================================

Hi Chris,

In
 my structured FM projects, I keep formatting out of the EDD as much as 
possible. The EDD, as you correctly note in your posting, should be 
concerned with the structure of the content. By using only paragraph and
 character format tags, which are applied according to the rules in the 
EDD, I leave the formatting basically to the customer. But I do first of
 all tell them that any indiviual overrides should not be made, and also
 I give them a simple method to remove all such individual formatting: 
re-import the Element Definitions from the same file while checking the 
option "Remove All Format Overrides". This re-applies the format tags 
according to the rules in the EDD and also removes all overrides that 
may have been introduced by the author.

In my setup, a customer 
may have different style sheets for different product families, all 
using the same content with the same structure and the same paragraph 
and character format tags, i.e. no changes to the EDD. Whether the 
customer is going to stick to their style guide is not something to 
enforce by moving all formatting into a domain (the EDD) where it does 
not really belong. If all else fails, there is still the option to write
 a simple ExtendScript that removes the formatting toolbars and pods, 
including the paragraph and character designer, and making the keyboard 
shortcuts for those commands inactive. If authors cannot listen, you 
should basically cut off the fingers that make the mess, in a manner of 
speaking?

That is my 2 cents in this discussion. I do agree with 
Scott that going via true XML might be a good solution, but only if the 
authors are not pulled out of their comfort zone too much.

Ciao

Jang
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