Flare vs DITA

[Yves Barbion]

Hi Gillian

Why would you have to hire someone to write scripts if you do DITA?

Just like Art, I'd use FM with DITA-FMx. If you know how to create
"unstructured" Fm templates, you can easily learn how to modify the
"component templates" that come with DITA-FMx. Actually, the process is
quite simple:

   1. You "map" the formats from your unstructured template to the formats
   in the DITA-FMx component templates. For example, take the "Heading 1"
   paratag from your template and rename it to "title.0".
   2. You import the formats from your unstructured Fm template into one or
   more DITA-FMx component templates.

Basically, that's it! No scripts required at all. Later, you may want to
finetune your component templates, which may imply:

   - Customizing the EDD and/or
   - Buying some (inexpensive) DITA-FMx add-ons, for example to insert
   (warning) symbols

Cheers
Yves Barbion
www.scripto.nu



On Mon, Apr 13, 2015 at 2:55 PM, Art Campbell <art.campbell at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I think you answered your own question -- if you do need custom scripts to
> do DITA and the company can't afford it, it can't afford it.
>
> Given that you probably know FM better than Flare, I'd do FM over Flare
> because unstructured Flare isn't going to buy you much, if anything, and
> there's still a steep learning curve.
>
> If it was me, and it was a newish project without tons of legacy content
> for conversion, I'd use FM with FMx.
>
> If there are tons of legacy content, I'd probably run unstructured Frame
> and convert later when there was time and money available.
>
> Art Campbell
>             art.campbell at gmail.com
>   "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 Vincent
> and a redheaded girl." -- Richard Thompson
>                                                       No disclaimers apply.
>                                                                DoD 358
>
> I support www.TheGrotonLine.com, hyperlocal news for Groton MA.
>
> On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 8:08 PM, Gillian Flato <gill6034 at comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Art,
>>
>> What I am trying to decide is if I should go with Tech Comm Suite or
>> Flare/Flare help at a job. If I do unstructured Frame, I can create
>> templates myself. If I do Structured Frame with DITA FMx, I can struggle
>> with it and eventually do it. If I do DITA, I have to hire someone to write
>> scripts which the company can’t afford. I was trying to find out if Flare
>> was a better alternative than Frame/Robohelp.
>>
>> -Gillian
>>
>>
>> On Apr 12, 2015, at 2:27 PM, Art Campbell <art.campbell at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> DITA is a standard for producing documentation.
>>
>> Frame, Flare, and a small herd of other editors can create documents that
>> support the DITA standards.
>>
>> So you're kind of asking an apples and oranges question -- one doesn't
>> equal the other; the editors all have different ways of producing content
>> that adheres to one or move of the DITA versions.
>> ________________
>> And when you're talking about modifying "their" templates, are you
>> talking about DITA templates or Flare?
>>
>> Flare's, generally, are based on cascading style sheets with some weird
>> twists; they are customized for the particular output "target" -- online
>> help, PDF, what have you, so an H1 will likely be different sizes, fonts,
>> and so on depending on what output format you're creating
>>
>> Art Campbell
>>             art.campbell at gmail.com
>>   "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 Vincent
>> and a redheaded girl." -- Richard Thompson
>>                                                       No disclaimers
>> apply.
>>                                                                DoD 358
>>
>> I support www.TheGrotonLine.com <http://www.thegrotonline.com/>,
>> hyperlocal news for Groton MA.
>>
>> On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 3:52 PM, Gillian Flato <gill6034 at comcast.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> How does Flare compare to DITA? It seems like you get all of the
>>> advantages of topic-baesd authoring, without having to have someone write
>>> scripts for you. Has anyone tried modifying their templates? How easy or
>>> difficult is that. How is their help file making product?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>> Gillian
>>> _______________________________________________
>>>
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>>
>>
>
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-- 
Yves Barbion
www.scripto.nu
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