Examples of FrameMaker Automations with Several Practical ExtendScripts

In April 2015, Adobe Partner Rick Quatro of Carmen Publishing was a special guest in a webinar that focused on how repetitious tasks can be economically automated through ExtendScripts for FrameMaker.

Register here to get access to the “FrameMaker Automation Ideas with Example ExtendScripts” webinar recording:

FrameMaker Automation Ideas with Example ExtendScripts

Note: When you follow this link, you will come to our event page. There you will need to click on [REGISTER] to obtain access to the recording. You will receive a confirmation webpage that has a link with the webinar name. Click on this link and you will see title and description, and the [REGISTER] button will have changed to [VIEW NOW].

Minute Markers to Key Concepts in Recording

04:00

Rick shares notes which you can download from the “Files 11” pod in lower left corner of screen. [WebinarNotes.pdf] – Explanation of what ExtendScript is: Adobe’s version of JAVASCRIPT, with some enhancements; has ability to read/write to disc. ExtendScript is also used in InDesign, RoboHelp and other Adobe products

05:30

Why would I want to use ExtendScript? Despite computer power, we find ourselves doing too many repetitive, manual tasks.

07:45

DEMO of 1st Script. One of Rick’s client wanted entire project inside one doc, not within a book. Client wished to have the BLANK page at end of Sections to say “THIS PAGE INTENTIONALY LEFT BLANK” … Demo of running the script to auto-apply master page.

11:00

DEMO: a view of the script code that was just used for “Intentional Blank” pages

12:40

Script that makes impractical tasks more practical … an eExample with tables that behave like “sub-head rows” and need to look different …

14:00

Using the Script [ApplySubheadRows.jsx] … (a) the subhead row is placed at top of each page under HEADING ROW … and the most recent instance of a subhead row will appear at top of next page.

15:30

How to use a RESTORE script. Exploring the role of markers in this type of script

16:30

A marker that is used to note a “Repeat Row” so this row can be deleted in the “Restore” Script which puts table back to its original state.

18:00

A script that creates a floating dialog box with all headings, hyperlinked, to allow “one click” navigation

22:00

Unusual Script requested by the client, who wished to have a warning before any ELEMENT is deleted from a structured FrameMaker document. This is an EVENT SCRIPT: “waits” for something to happen in FrameMaker before it is invoked. Main purpose was that nothing would be accidentally deleted.

24:00

Viewing the above Script to see how “Notification” is set up on line 17. – The “Notify” function on line 21. Line 27 has query to determine that action must be invoked.

26:15

Understanding the “Registered” panel of the Script Library menu

27:15

Another event script … which will invoke saving an FM doc as MIF … this can be useful for mixed environments where users have more than one version of FrameMaker and you have to “save down” to MIF, so older version of FM will open the file.

30:25

Script for saving variable definitions … method is to save variable definitions into a table, with name in column 1, and definition in column 2 (more visual method for managing variables.)

32:00

View the script … example, it is even possible to add variables in the FM doc table, and the script will add new variables into the target FM document

33:15

Comment/Observation: some of these scripts are not “powerhouse” with dramatic results, but they can save you a tremendous amount of time.

34:00

Alternate method in which document data definitions are saved in an XML file, and a script will prompt you to accept values in displayed window – the method shown with this script would work well with machine generated data

38:00

Script for structured FrameMaker, to give you an easier way to edit attributes, with ability to TAB from one value to another … This script pops up a dialog box for editing Attributes, which you can easily tab through

40:30

Example of Powerhouse Script: BooksToPDF.jsx … does an entire workflow … viewing the “Settings.xml” file for this script. Notice that same book is specified 3x, because different conditions are going to be set for the book. An <outpath> is set for each iteration of PDF output.

43:00

DEMO of this book workflow script … start by selecting the Settings.xml file …

50:00

Offer scripts in exchange for a charity donation … you can obtain scripts from Rick if you wish to support his charity of choice before late June 2015.