#WriteRight 7) FrameMaker & Word: Single-sourcing and multi-channel publications

FrameMaker 11 has a long history of creating multiple versions of documents or projects to address different audiences, and similar but slightly different product lines. For at least two decades, FrameMaker users have been able to use conditional text control to issue different, custom versions of documents from a single set of “base” source documents.

This power can be combined with user variables, which may be redefined to display different formatting and text for product names, company division, or something as simple as contact information (e.g. phone number and physical address.)

Change version and content with a simple template import

Conditional text’s “show/hide” settings (which determine which portions of text will display or be hidden) are saved with a document or template. Thus, it is possible to have different versions of a document template that will only change (a) the portions of text which display and (b) the current, variable definitions of user variables. You may import these definitions from a variant template into your book or document, and have shown text as well as product and other names change in an instant.

Seeing is believing; watch the video

Watch the video below to see a swift contrast between Word and FrameMaker, and see just how easy it is to perform the functions mentioned above.

http://tv.adobe.com/embed/1186/16653/

Have your own hands-on with FrameMaker 11 and decide how you can use it

Adobe Technical Communication Suite 4 includes FrameMaker 11, which is an excellent authoring solution and also a versatile structured editor for DITA/XML. The possibilities with these new tools are as limitless as the profiles of our existing and potential customers. To discover how you can use FrameMaker, download a trial copy of FrameMaker 11 today. After having your own hands-on, you may decide in favor of the best bargain of all, obtaining a cloud subscription to the entire Tech Comm Suite 4, which includes RoboHelp 10, Captivate 6 and other products in addition to FrameMaker 11.