Re: FrameMaker to HTML

[Chris <cud -at- telecable -dot- es>]

Melinda asks whether you can specify the filenames ahead of time when 
saving as HTML.

First, I suggest you go to the Frameusers list - you'll find more direct 
answers there.  One answer you're sure to find is "Use Quadralay!"  Or 
you might hear "Use Mif2Go."  

Maker comes with a lite version of Quadralay  - I personally haven't 
installed it yet, since I like to try and use Maker's Save As HTML, 
quixotic or not.  So I can't say whether it comes with the means to 
address your problem...  The lite version just might, and you should 
look into that.

Another approach would be to post-process your HTML.  The generated 
names come as a result of the order of each section in the book... 
file1, file2, file3...  Your first problem is to know the order of the 
files so you can map the generated files to the filenames you want. 
Then you have to go through and rename your files.  Finally, you have 
to go through and change every HTML string with the old filename into a 
string with the new filename.  This sort of activity isn't as 
far-fetched as it might seem, but it might be more technical than you want.

I believe you could use markers in Maker to specify the filenames you 
want, then use Save As HTML macros to embed special comments with those 
filenames.  A list of those markers would give you a list of preferred 
filenames.  You might get lucky, and the order of that list would give 
you all the information you need to map the generated filenames to your 
preferred filenames.  Otherwise you would need to look inside the HTML 
for your special comment to get the proper filename mapping.  So that 
could solve problem one.

Problem 2 - renaming your files...  You could use a batch script on 
Windows to do this.  There might be some developer at your site willing 
to build a small program to do it per a list of old/new filenames.  But 
if your quantity of files is large, you don't want to do it manually. 
There may be other approaches, too...

Problem 3 - changing all hrefs and other references to the new 
filenames.  If on UNIX there are scripting tools to do this.  If on 
Windows, let me know off list (if you're still following this train) - I 
have a Maker plugin that globally finds and replaces text in column A to 
the corresponding text in column B.  You could open each file in Maker, 
modify it, then save as text.  (I intend to post this tool as freeware, 
but I haven't done it yet.  I just used it for a big project but I 
haven't had the time to make it generally applicable, nor usable in a 
batch.)

Anyway, this discussion belongs on the FrameUsers list - You can find a 
link to the FrameUsers site on my web page.  From there you can find 
subscription info.

Good luck!

--
Chris Despopoulos, maker of CudSpan Freeware...
Plugins to Enhance FrameMaker & FrameMaker+SGML
http://www.telecable.es/personales/cud/
cud -at- telecable -dot- es



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