I've not followed all the details of this thread, but like Art, I use a combination of conditional text, variables, and text insets when I need to produce multiple versions of content that have a decent amount of shared content.
Sometimes I'll share entire chapters, because they're identical or nearly so. Conditions handle the "nearly identical" situations. Sometimes I'll use insets with conditions. I typically use conditioned variables for product names, as those usually vary and are the driver of the differences (different, but similar models of a product). So, it becomes a judgment call on what combination of devices to use. But, using these methods is much more efficient and saves maintenance time if there is a significant amount of common information. There are a number of issues related to text insets. If you've not used them before, you may want to search this list. I also have a handout on my web site from a presentation I did a while back. Check my Resources page for Single Sourcing on a Shoestring with FrameMaker and WebWorks Publisher. I also now use a FrameScript to fix the xrefs to and from insets in PDFs. It works great. Rick Quatro, who is on this list, created the script. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Linda G. Gallagher TechCom Plus, LLC lindag at techcomplus dot com www.techcomplus.com 303-450-9076 or 800-500-3144 User guides, online help, FrameMaker and WebWorks ePublisher templates ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Art Campbell Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 9:23 AM To: Avraham Makeler Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: Merging books: Need FM mechanisms and methodologies for merging books with large fraction of identical material You certainly could go that route. However, you'll also notice that I didn't exclude using CT at all. I use both shared content and CT, together, on most document set level projects. I usually use shared content to manage large chunks of information, and CT to manage smaller items within either the shared files or the parent files. It just depends on the content of the books, and I don't have enough info to make a judgement call. But there's nothing in the information that you presented that would make it a bad or a good choice, or lead me to think that one solution rather than a blend would be a better way to go. Art Campbell [email protected] "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 Vincent and a redheaded girl." -- Richard Thompson No disclaimers apply. DoD 358 On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 11:14 AM, Avraham Makeler <[email protected]> wrote: > The penny just dropped ... I noticed that you did not recommend (or even > suggest) making them into book and using Conditional Text, even the Set #2 > which has the books (four) having about only 10% identical content. > Why, may I ask, did you not recommend Conditional Text? > avraham > > > On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 5:01 PM, Art Campbell <[email protected]> > wrote: >> >> Replies cut in below... >> >> Art Campbell >> [email protected] >> "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 >> Vincent and a redheaded girl." -- Richard Thompson >> No disclaimers apply. >> DoD 358 >> >> >> >> On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 10:54 AM, Avraham Makeler <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > Thanks, Art. >> > (a) So you would use the same method for both Set #1 and Set #2? >> >> I think so; the only real difference seems to be the amount of shared >> info. >> I might change my mind if I had the files to look at and play with, >> but.... >> >> > (b) re: \Shared - You make \Shared contain FM files only? >> >> Yes, that's the way I do it. Very rarely there are text files to >> include, but what other files (not including graphics) would you >> include? >> >> > (c) re: \Graphics - Often many graphics are not shared. So I suppose in >> > that >> > case you would have a 'Shared Graphics' folder, but also a >> > separate \Graphics folder for each book. >> >> You could certainly do it that way. I'm not sure that I would because >> there's no way to know how many graphics are reused and how many are >> in the \Shared files. You don't want a graphic in a \Shared file to be >> buried in a book subdirectory. >> >> I've found it easier to lump all graphics together so that when one >> needs to be changed, it ripples automatically no matter where or how >> many times it's used. YMMV. >> >> > (d) >> >>> I'd guesstimate a day per book for conversion, but that's a >> > WAG. Could easily be half that or twice that, depending on how the >> > books are set up and how fast you are. >> > - Well, I have never done it before. >> > - So a reasonable estimate for a set with two books is that it could >> > take >> > two days? >> If you're going to take it all the way to building new books with the >> shared content, that are ready to go out the door, yes, easily. > > _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to Framers as [email protected]. 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