FrameMaker: Still not dead
Adobe has just announced FrameMaker 8. The Content Wrangler has an overview.

DITA support is now built in instead of requiring a separate download of an "application pack" from Adobe Labs.

I find the following two items quite compelling:

• Flash integration. We deliver our training workbooks as downloadable PDFs. The files include links to animated screen shots with voiceovers. In the current versions, clicking on a movie link launches a separate viewer. We expect that the Flash support in FrameMaker 8 will allow us to embed the movies directly into the PDF file, so that readers can simply click to view the movie inside the PDF file. This will make our PDF files more complete and more interactive.
• Support for attribute-based conditions in structured FrameMaker. Previous versions of FrameMaker required a third-party plug-in (ABCM, formerly Sourcerer) for attribute-based versioning. Attribute-based conditions will allow you to show and hide information using attribute values. This is a huge improvement over using (or attempting to use) conditional text inside structured FrameMaker.

I'm happy to see Unicode in there. It only gets a line or two in the announcement, but do not underestimate the level of effort that went into delivering that feature. Several of my FDK-programmer colleagues thought that It Couldn't Be Done, so congratulations to the FrameMaker engineering team.

In the less happy category, I don't see any mention of enhancements to the structured application development process. That entire section of the product is in serious need of an overhaul; currently, it has that scary duct-tape-and-string feel to it.

And finally, we have a winner in the Unintentionally Humorous category in the feature description from adobe.com:

Easily convert existing documents to structured content through conversion tables.

The conversion rules tables aren't the problem--it's rare to encounter information that's tagged with sufficient consistency and thoroughness to make conversion "easy."

And by rare, I mean rare as in survival of the species is in doubt.

Labels: framemaker review

- posted by Sarah @ 4:19 PM