New information
The Mif2Go User's Guide is a perpetual work-in-progress, largely unreviewed. See history.txt in the Mif2Go distribution for updates to the software that are not mentioned in this guide or in the on-line Help.
This section identifies substantive additions and corrections since prior editions, extending back for one year. Corrections are shown in red.
2009 February 24, update 33u53
1. Context-sensitive help for Mif2Go is now provided via HTML Help. Add a line to your installation script; see:
§1.1.1 For first-time users of Mif2Go
§1.1.3 Create or replace the Mif2Go installation script
2. Update/resolve before you convert. Your document should be free of FrameMaker errors before Mif2Go gets ahold of it; see §2.5.1 Updating your document in FrameMaker.
3. Set up HTML projects that link to each other. Watch for file-name collisions; see §2.7 Setting up multiple interlinked HTML projects.
4. Conversion Designer for RTF is going away. Does not work in FrameMaker 9; see §4.2.6 Using Conversion Designer for RTF output (deprecated).
5. No spaces in FileIDs. For those who choose to mess with mif2go.ini; see §4.4.4.2 Replacing FileIDs with custom identifiers.
6. Keep [ConditionsShown] in your project configuration file. This section does not currently work in a configuration template; see §4.7.1 Applying condition Show/Hide settings.
7. Detour wide tables through Excel for use in Word. If more than 63 columns; see §5.11 Converting tables to print RTF on page 166: Tables with too many columns.
8. Specify a binary TOC to track index links in HTML Help (correction). Rather than a binary index, in most cases; see §8.8.6 Making the TOC track index links in HTML Help.
9. Use different HHW TOC and index settings for stand-alone vs. merged CHMs. There are trade-offs; see §8.8.7 Comparing HHW settings for stand-alone vs. merged CHMs.
10. Provide better Eclipse search results with a <meta> description. In Eclipse 3.4+; see §11.5 Configuring search properties for Eclipse Help.
11. Avoid double nesting of inline DITA elements. Either map character formats to No or make sure UseTypographicElements=No; see §14.4.4.1 Assigning DITA elements to FrameMaker character formats.
12. Assign a DITA topic type to transitional formats (correction). Even if the new topic is the default type; see §14.9.2.3 Specifying the DITA topic type with a paragraph format.
13. Specify ancestries for DocBook table and image elements. New sections [DocBookTableParents] and [DocBookImageParents], new [DocBookOptions] settings TableParents and ImageParents; see:
§16.6 Designating ancestors for table elements
§16.7 Designating ancestors for image elements.
14. Fix links to relocated HTML files. If you intend to rearrange them after conversion; see §18.6.4 Enabling links to renamed or relocated files.
15. Use a common FileID file for inter-project links. Both projects must use the same file; see §18.6.5 Enabling links to files in other projects.
16. Choose HTML tags to use for footnotes in tables. New setting UseTbFootnoteLists; see §20.10.3 Using list tags or <div> and <p> tags for jump footnotes.
17. Use cross-reference format names for CSS class names. New setting XrefFormatIsXrefClass; see §21.7.5 Using link format names as CSS class names.
18. Omit graphics and their tags and references from HTML or XML. Replace with nothing; see §22.4.5 Omitting graphics from HTML or XML output.
19. Fix FrameMaker variable names to fit macro-variable naming rules. See §27.2.5 Treating FrameMaker user variables as macro variables.
20. Use FrameMaker system-variable building blocks as macro variables. New predefined macro variables <$$_volnum>, <$$_chapnum>, <$$_sectionnum>, and <$$_subsectionnum>; see §27.2.6 Using FrameMaker system variables as macro variables.
21. Retrieve embedded OLE objects. For use in the application that created them. See §29.2.4.4 Retrieving OLE objects for use in the original application.
22. Execute system commands before compiling and archiving. New settings BookWrapCommand and FileWrapCommand; see:
§32.4.2.1 Executing a system command
§32.4.2.2 Understanding how system commands work.
23. Eschew sequence numbers in file names. New harangue; see §32.7.5 Including identifiers and sequence numbers in file names.
24. Save FrameMaker 9 files as FrameMaker 7 MIF. But not as FrameMaker 8 MIF. New setting UseFrame9MIF; see §36.2.6 Saving FrameMaker 9 files as FrameMaker 7 MIF.
2008 November 11, update 33u52
1. Log what happens during conversion. New configuration section [Logging]; see §4.3 Logging conversion events.
2. Specify absolute paths to conversion templates. See §4.6.5 Troubleshooting template import problems.
3. Fine-tune image scaling in Word output. New setting PicScale; see §5.12.7 Preserving graphics scale in Word.
4. Produce a list of CSH aliases and topic titles for HTML Help. New setting AliasTitle; see §8.11.6 Producing a list of aliases and associated topic titles.
5. Modify CSS to change OmniHelp display features. See §9.5.6 Modifying OmniHelp CSS classes.
6. Prevent Mif2Go from generating plugin.xml for Eclipse Help. New setting UsePlugin; see §11.2.3.3 Choosing whether to generate plugin.xml.
7. Allow Eclipse to generate a default opening page for Eclipse Help. Give TocTopic an empty value; see §11.4.4.2 Specifying a starting topic.
8. Merge Eclipse Help modules without risking broken links. Anchor method deprecated for Eclipse version 3.4 and later versions; see §11.6 Merging Eclipse Help projects.
9. Apply attributes to table formats for DITA. Settings intended for HTML work for DITA XML also; see §14.6.3 Applying attributes to DITA tables.
10. Merge DITA stripped-table elements under a single parent. New setting CloseStrippedTables; see §14.6.6 Omitting table coding entirely.
11. Specify ancestry of image elements in DITA. New setting ImageParents; see §14.7.1 Designating ancestors for <image> and <fig> elements.
12. Specify how to wrap image elements in DITA. New settings CloseFigAfterImage and MultiImageFigures, and new format property NoFig; see §14.7.2 Specifying what to include in a <fig> wrapper.
13. Specify units for image attributes in DITA. Needed for round-tripping with FrameMaker 8. New setting UsePtSuffix; see:
§14.2.6 Ensuring FrameMaker 8 import compatibility
§14.7.4 Understanding why images might look incorrectly scaled.
14. Omit <xref> elements from DITA footnotes. For DITA-OT PDF2 output. New setting FootnoteXref; see §14.10.3 Omitting <xref> elements from footnotes.
15. Transfer format properties of FrameMaker user variables to DITA. Use macro variables; see §14.11.3 Retaining format properties of user variables in DITA.
16. Use first-topic navigation titles for DITA map titles. New setting UseAltMapTitle; see §15.2.1.4 Specifying a title for a chapter or book ditamap.
17. Prevent unwanted paragraphs from messing up HTML browse sequences. Use conditional text to make them go away; see §17.2.2.2 Preventing splits that create unwanted files.
18. Prevent a paragraph format from triggering HTML file splits. New format property NoSplit; see §17.2.2.4 Keeping headings together when other content intervenes.
19. Insert code at the very end of the HTML head section. New [Inserts] keywords HeadEnd, FirstHeadEnd, LastHeadEnd, SplitHeadEnd, and ExtrHeadEnd; see §17.5.2 Assigning code to [Inserts] keywords for splits and extracts.
20. Navigation systems for HTML are interfile, not intrafile. By design; see §19.1 Understanding how navigation links work.
21. Provide better browse sequences in HTML. Browse-sequence keyword building blocks expanded, behavior simplified; see §19.4 Creating a browse sequence.
22. Understand what format property Delete can and cannot do. See §20.3.13 Eliminating unwanted paragraphs.
23. Replace tabs in HTML or XML with code. New section [StyleTabReplace]; see §20.5.2 Understanding how Mif2Go treats tabs in HTML/XML.
24. Wildcards are an exception to special-character mapping for HTML; see §20.5.5 Mapping individual special characters.
25. Do not use special characters in URIs. Anything above 255 does not translate; see §20.5.7 Avoiding use of special characters in URIs.
26. DITA system ID needs a leading space if shorter than 16 characters. See §30.4.1 Content model [Topic] settings.
27. Override public and system IDs for specialized DITA maps. Same method as for topic types; see §30.7.4 Overriding declarations in a DITA map content model.
28. Omit DITA prefix from topic-type name in [DITAContentModels] entries (correction); see §30.7.5 Listing DITA topic type configuration files.
29. Preserve spaces and/or underscores in file names for automated systems. New settings KeepFileNameUnderscores, KeepFileNameSpaces, ChangeFileNameSpaces, and FileNameSpaceChar; see §32.7.4.1 Constructing file names based on paragraph content.
1. Apply FrameMaker conditions and variables at run time. New section [ConditionsShown], new settings SetFrameConditions, ConditionName, and ReplaceFrameVars; see §4.7 Applying FrameMaker conditions and variables.
2. Emulate WWP drop-down hotspots with Mif2Go macros. See §6.9.8 Emulating Web Works Publisher drop-down hotspots.
3. List Eclipse Help plug-in attributes in plugin.xml. By default some are now in MANIFEST.MF instead. New setting UseManifest; see §11.3.1 Specifying a Java manifest file for Eclipse Help.
4. Specify the product version for your Eclipse Help plug-in. New setting PluginVer; see §11.3.2 Specifying Eclipse Help plug-in properties.
5. Include a processing instruction in Eclipse Help plugin.xml. New setting IncludeVersionPI; see §11.3.4.2 Including a processing instruction to validate plugin.xml.
6. Specify the Eclipse Help plug-in schema version. New setting PluginSchemaVersion; see §11.3.4.3 Specifying the plug-in schema version for plugin.xml.
7. Populate MANIFEST.MF for Eclipse Help. New settings WriteManifest, ManifestName, and UseSingleton; see §11.3.3 Configuring the Java manifest file for Eclipse Help.
8. Choose between mid-topic TOC jumps and breadcrumbs for Eclipse Help. New setting TocNamesFileOnly; see §11.4.4.3 Enabling mid-topic jumps from the TOC.
9. Name the Eclipse Help context file and plug-in attribute for secondary plug-ins. New settings ContextFileName and ContextPluginName; see §11.7.2 Naming context file and attribute for secondary plug-ins.
10. Convert FrameMaker conditions to HTML/XHTML/DITA attributes. New section [ConditionAttributes], new setting ConditionCharTag; see:
§12.10 Converting conditions to HTML attributes
§14.12 Converting conditions to DITA attributes.
11. Omit path from DITA DTD SYSTEM identifier. New setting UseDTDPath; see §14.2.5 Configuring the DITA DTD SYSTEM identifier.
12. Keep the first paragraph in a file from starting a new DITA topic. New setting ForceStartTopic; see §14.9.1.3 Preventing the first paragraph format from starting a topic.
13. Make DITA <xref scope="local"> attribute explicit. New setting UseLocalScope; see §14.10.4.1 Specifying the <xref> scope attribute.
14. Keep track of FrameMaker text insets in DITA output. New settings TextInsetMark and TextInsetNest; see §14.13 Marking FrameMaker text insets in DITA.
15. Property LinkSrc applies only to paragraph formats, not character formats (correction); see §18.2.4 Using a macro to specify link properties.
16. Improved Unicode support for HTML and for FrameMaker version 8. See:
§20.5.3 Understanding Mif2Go support for FrameMaker 8 Unicode
§20.5.6 Mapping characters in a special font.
17. Omit px suffix from image width and height attributes for HTML or XML. New setting UsePxSuffix; see §22.9.4 Specifying px units for graphics sized in pixels.
18. Assign table row attributes to paragraphs for HTML or XML. New [HTMLStyles] setting RowAttribute, new section [StyleRowAttribute]; see §23.4.5 Specifying attributes for table rows.
19. Add table row attributes via marker for HTML or XML. New custom marker type RowAttr; see:
§23.4.5 Specifying attributes for table rows
§28.2.4 Using attribute markers for HTML or XML.
20. How to get comments in macro definitions to appear in output. Put up with the backslash; see §27.1.1.5 Including comments in macro definitions.
21. Save FrameMaker 8 files as FrameMaker 8 MIF. New setting UseFrame8MIF; see §36.2.5 Saving FrameMaker 8 files as FrameMaker 8 MIF.
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