--- Jon Harvey <JHarvey at cambridgesoft.com> wrote: > We would like to begin developing in structured > framemaker. My understanding is that to do so, we > need to bring in schema that FM can use to help us > structure our docs. Can anyone recommend some solid > tools for creating schema? It's either that or > write the markup by hand, > something I'd rather not do. =================================== "Schema" is a database term. A schema describes the detailed structure of a particular database design. If your intent is to export data from structured FrameMaker into such an existing database, your EDD must replicate the schema of your database.
If that's not your goal, and instead you are simply trying to create structured documents, then you may be able to ignore some of the rigors of a pre-defined schema in developing your structured application. Other external constraints/requirements, however, may impose schema-like requirements that affect the design of your EDD. It's even conceivable that the EDD you develop, when it is converted to a DTD/schema, could be used to define the schema for a new database in which you intend to store Framemaker documents broken up into their constituent structured components. Be aware that implementing a true database schema imposes certain constraints on EDD developement. For instance, the use of inclusions in the structure rules of an EDD makes documents created in accordance with an EDD incompatible with export to XML or storage in a database. Also, true schemas can impose more rigorous requirements on the permissable values of attributes.
