Oh, it's worse than that. The XML files that generate the FM file via DITA-FMx are regenerated every time there's a change in the source document for them, because the XML files are created from a perl script that takes apart an Excel file to create individual XML files for each row in the Excel file. I already have an xref going from a standard FM file to a location in the generated FM file that has to be replaced.
And believe it or not, this is actually a VAST improvement on our previous process, which involved me checking thousands of rows individually for changes so I could update a standard FM file, which was prone to a lot of errors. On Tue, Nov 22, 2016 at 4:58 PM, Scott Prentice <[email protected]> wrote: > Okay. So you're working in structured FM files (pseudo-DITA) generated > from an FMx book-build. And you're adding a "link" to an unstructured FM > file that's been added to the generated book? I think I get it now. > > In this case, adding an fm-xref won't likely work (might, but I've never > tried what you're doing, and modifying generated files is typically not a > great idea since the edits are lost the next time you generate from DITA). > What you've got now are two FM files .. just insert a "Cross-Reference" > (regular FM type .. forget that this was DITA and is structured), and see > what happens. > > Technically, the fm-xref is an FM Cross-Reference object, so that might > actually work, but if not, just resort to good old FM techniques. > > ...scott > > > On 11/22/16 1:41 PM, Lin Sims wrote: > > Some of the files are FM generated from XML using your plugin. Others are > FM created in Frame. The ones generated from .XML have elements, the others > don't. Both sets are edited with FM set to the structured INTERFACE, but > only the Frame on the server is in a structured environment. Which is where > I made my mistake, since I was trying to use the FM instance on my laptop > that is not in a structured environment. If I work in the structured > environment, I can insert an fm-xref from the used-to-be-XML files to the > always-have-been-FM files. > > Sorry for being unclear (before and possibly now). The last two weeks or > so have been stressful and tiring, and I'm not communicating as well as I'd > like to be. > > On Tue, Nov 22, 2016 at 4:35 PM, Scott Prentice <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Ah .. so aren't they "DITA" files rather than FM files? If they are DITA >> files and are in the same ditamap which is built into the same book then >> PDF .. then yes, just insert a fm-xref, select the target DITA file, then >> select the target element, and you should be good to go! >> >> But this doesn't work with FM files and especially with unstructured FM >> files. >> >> Cheers, >> ...scott >> >> >> On 11/22/16 1:29 PM, Lin Sims wrote: >> >> Oh, dear. I think I've misled you. >> >> Both FM files are in the same book, which is turned into a single PDF >> file. Everything is internal to that PDF file. I have done it before, I'd >> simply forgotten I had to do this down on the server. >> >> It's been a stressful couple of weeks, and my brain went to la-la land. >> >> On Tue, Nov 22, 2016 at 4:05 PM, Scott Prentice <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> Linking an xref (of fm-xref) to a target in a FM file will never result >>> in the link going to a PDF file that's generated from that FM file. The >>> only way for an xref to link to a PDF is to use an external xref, and set >>> the @href attribute to the file name of the target PDF file (assuming the >>> target PDF is in the same folder as the PDF that you're linking from). Even >>> then I'm not sure it'll work, but in theory it should. If you want to link >>> to a target within a PDF, you'll need to add the necessary coding to the >>> @href attribute that will make that happen. Off hand I'm not sure what that >>> coding is, but in theory it's possible .. I think. >>> >>> The problem with linking to the source FM file, is that it won't know >>> what the yet-to-be-created PDF file name is, and that's really what you >>> need .. the PDF links to a PDF, not to a FM file. >>> >>> To create an external xref, insert an "xref" (not an fm-xref), and >>> choose the "External" button from that dialog. This will let you specify >>> the href (either a path/filename or a URL to the PDF file), the link text, >>> and the scope (choose "external"). This should set the @format attribute to >>> "pdf". >>> >>> When you generate the book (and then the PDF) from the ditamap, if the >>> resulting PDF is placed in the same folder as the linked PDF, the link in >>> the "DITA" PDF should open the target "FM" PDF. Be sure to select the >>> "Convert xrefs to Hyperlinks" in the Book Build Options dialog when >>> generating the book from the ditamap in FMx. >>> >>> I hope that helps. >>> >>> ...scott >>> >>> >>> >>> On 11/22/16 12:15 PM, Lin Sims wrote: >>> >>> I don't care if it works in Frame, as long as it works in the PDF! >>> >>> And I suspect part of the problem is, as I said, because I was not >>> working in the fully structured environment we maintain on our server. >>> FM2016 is set to the structured interface on my personal laptop (we all >>> have it that way), but without the EDD/DTD, I couldn't get anything >>> meaningful in the elements list. Once I used the server-installation of FM, >>> I was able to add an fm-xref, which is I think an internal definition(? or >>> yours, I forget which) that allows us to refer to paragraph tags as well as >>> elements for xrefs. >>> >>> With luck, FM2015 will be installed on the server soon, and things will >>> do what I want them to do. >>> >>> On Tue, Nov 22, 2016 at 2:37 PM, Scott Prentice <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> FYI .. no, not possible (in a meaningful way) to create an xref from a >>>> DITA file to an unstructured FM file. In theory you could create an >>>> "external" xref to the FM file, but the best you could hope for would be >>>> that it would open the FM file in FM when the link was clicked (and likely >>>> that wouldn't even work). >>>> >>>> ...scott >>>> >>>> >>>> On 11/22/16 10:48 AM, Lin Sims wrote: >>>> >>>>> Never mind, figured out that (part of the problem) is that I was >>>>> working >>>>> with my local version of Frame, that has no links to an EDD/DTD. The >>>>> server >>>>> version (which does) works fine. >>>>> >>>>> Now to get the tools guy to upgrade the server from FM12 to FM2015, so >>>>> I >>>>> don't have to save down for everything. >>>>> >>>>> On Tue, Nov 22, 2016 at 1:33 PM, Lin Sims <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Is this even possible? I've got both files open, but when I try to >>>>>> insert >>>>>> an xref, I only get the DITA menu and it won't let me select anything >>>>>> but >>>>>> elements. Which the other file doesn't have, of course, it not being >>>>>> DITA/xml. >>>>>> >>>>>> I tried to email Scott directly, but I got a bounce, so I obviously >>>>>> have >>>>>> the wrong address. >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> Lin Sims >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> >>>> This message is from the Framers mailing list >>>> >>>> Send messages to [email protected] >>>> Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com >>>> Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/fr >>>> amers%40lists.frameusers.com/ >>>> Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/li >>>> stinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com >>>> Send administrative questions to [email protected] >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Lin Sims >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Lin Sims >> >> >> > > > -- > Lin Sims > > > -- Lin Sims _______________________________________________ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to [email protected] Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to [email protected]
