More on FrameMaker 7.1

But perhaps the biggest change is FrameMaker 7.1’s improved XML features, ranging from its support for “roundtripping,” to support for conditional text in XML documents and improved cross-referencing features.

FrameMaker 7.1 now supports “roundtripping,” or the ability to open, edit and save XML files and DTDs within FrameMaker and then use the resulting XML files with other applications for further processing. XML documents opened in FrameMaker 7.1 are saved back to XML by default. In the previous version, they were saved as .fm files, the company said.

Version 7.1 also supports conditional text within XML documents. Conditional text is a FrameMaker feature that allows authors to maintain multiple variations of a document in a single source file. “For example, you may want to create a manual to be printed on paper as well as published via the Web, but with different text depending on the audience,” Mathews said. “Conditional text allows users to keep the variations in one source file.”

With Version 7.1, conditional text settings are retained when files are saved as XML, Matthews said. Version 7.0 did not support the retention of conditional text within XML files, he said. Plus, since the files are saved as XML files, they can be repurposed for other XML workflows or documents, Adobe said.