Page Change Functionality

[aleslie]

I need to add the facility to post the latest issue at the footer per page as opposed to per section/chapter within a manual.

The issue is taken from a change element's issno attribute value. As there may be several changes per page, I need to get the latest change for each page. If a page has not been changed, it retains issue 1 in the footer.

I know this has not been possible with Editor in the past as the issue number could not be resetfollowing the up issued page as there is no way of determining page end; the latest issue just ran on to subsequent pages until the next issue changed it.

Does anyone know whether this has now been resolved so that changes per page can easily be supported ?

Thanks,

Andy

[naglists]

Hi Andy,

I was hoping to see someone closer to this answer you today, but since I
haven't (at least not on list), here goes: There was a page change
application developed but it was never part of the core product and it had
issues almost from the start. I haven't heard anything about it in quite a
while, so I'm not sure if it eventually got working well enough or whether
everyone walked away from it. Regardless, the short answer to your question
is, "No." The longer answer is, "Well, how much time and money and patience
do you have and what exactly exactly exactly (please provide a 1000 page
requirements document) do you need it to do?"

On Tue, Apr 26, 2011 at 9:30 AM, Andy Leslie <
info@structuredinformation.co.uk> wrote:

> I need to add the facility to post the latest issue at the footer per page
> as opposed to per section/chapter within a manual.
>
> The issue is taken from a change element's issno attribute value. As there
> may be several changes per page, I need to get the latest change for each
> page. If a page has not been changed, it retains issue 1 in the footer.
>
> I know this has not been possible with Editor in the past as the issue
> number could not be reset following the up issued page as there is no way of
> determining page end; the latest issue just ran on to subsequent pages until
> the next issue changed it.
>
> Does anyone know whether this has now been resolved so that changes per
> page can easily be supported ?
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Andy
>

[aleslie]

yeah...I remember Arbortext providing a solution at one stage but as you say...nothing provided in the core product. Thishas beena major drawback with Arbortext Editor as there have been numerous requests over the years from major aerospace and defence organisations who want to have this page change functionality. Ended up having to get the author to insert issue end PI's into the markup to reset the issue. However, this proved time consuming as each time, a print preview was required to determine where this should be inserted. It only worked if inserted at the top of the following page the issue needed reseting. If there were some way of dtermining page end that may help. Thanks

[AndyEsslinger]

Andy,

When you use the word "easily" you eliminate every possible solution that I know of because loose leaf change pages area real problem for anyone. That means that the answer to the one and only question in your post is "no".

You also don't mention what software you have (including version), whether you work in SGML or XML, whether you work in FOSI or Stylesheets.

The more information you give the more likely that someone can help. However, If the question you post requires more than 500 words for an answer, most people will not have time to respond. Especially if the question requires the equivalent of a book to properly answer.

I also doubt that anyone on the list will be able to give you a turnkey application, but while you are figuring how to do it they may be able to provide answers along your way as you develop your solution.

Speaking of turnkey (that really isn't turnkey - requires a LOT of work): the Arbortext Change Page Application for the military is as close as it gets for something commercially available. Its main problem is that it requires E-3 (or whatever they call it now). The basic functionality is there but you need to spend $100,000 buying their product, and another $100,000 just rewriting the FOSI to match whatever you use for a formatting standard. (Easy? No. Expensive? Yes).

Good luck,
-Andy
\ / Andy Esslinger LM Aero - Tech Order Data
_____-/\-_____ (817) 279-0442 1 Lockheed Blvd, MZ 4285
\_\/_/ (817) 777 3047 Fort Worth, TX 76108-3916

[aleslie]

FOSI developed using Arbortext Architect 5.3 M170 styling XML.

[ebenton]

It seems to me that the Arbortext change page application would only work with certain CALS-like (38784) DTDs. It may be somewhat more robust now. I also think that Susan Fort of PTC is involved with this, or at least used to be.

[ptc-1775095]

Hello,

I recently have exactly the same issue for ATA CMM publication (and the
generation of an LOEP).
I manage to do it using XSL-FO markers and several passes, including one using
layout::format ACL function which adds page breaks in my FO file.
It's quite complex and seems working so far.

If it could help someone, here is a shortdescriptionofthe process:
First process : XSL+XML manual to FO-1 (in this process, I generate markers for
each revisable object - it contains rev. date, rev. number and object key)
Second process : FO-1 to FO-2 using layout::format ACL function (it adds
<atipl:startpage> in FO at each page break)
Thirdprocess : FO-2+XSL to generate an XML file containing the list of pages
and for each page, the rev. info and key of each revisable object (I analyze
markers stored between <atipl:startpage>)
Fourth process : XSL (nearly the same as first process)+XML manual+XML pages to
PDF (in this process, I generate the LOEP from my XML pages file and I don't
generate useless markers, keeping only the latest one in my current object page
- again using my XML pages file)

Regards,
Gilles Beaugeais.

[ptc-1908075]

Andy,

My (silent but brilliant) partner suggested that maybe secdesc could be
re-purposed for this, if all you need is the highest value per page. If secdesc
does not work, we have worked on this sort of thing before and can develop a
solution for you on a consulting basis. We can discuss that off-list.

Good luck!
Suzanne Napoleon
www.FOSIexpert.com
"WYSIWYG is last-century technology!"

[BobSpangenburg]

Andy,

First of all, I would think what you're asking can be done through FOSI and ACL combinations. I agree in that it's complex, to say the least. There are many liimitations to the FOSI in evaluating the document, especially when it comes to where the end of the page occurs. PE (and Editor) performs a composition in 2 passes... First to lay out all the formatting of the elements, and then to lay the results out on pages. The two don't overlap in any way so moving information (variable values) between the two is very difficult. I find myself constantly using ACL to add to the FOSI thoselimitations. Especially when I have to manipulate the content based on some condition.

Off the top of my head, you could tie a function to each element that would have an issue number, call a function that would compare the element's valueto a running value to get the highest, clear the element's value after the element, use the highest value at the bottom of the page and then clear the running value after the page. Sounds good in theory... haven't specifically tried it.

As for Arbortext and a Change Package...PTC (Arbortext)DOES have the Change Page for Defense system that is an add-on to PE. I've been specificially invovled with Versions 1.2, 1.4, 1.5 and now 1.6 M010 (tied to PE 5.4M020). It is an ongoing product that, to the best of my knowledge, will be around for some time. It is based on the TMSS DSS set supporting about 23 different DTD's. It works quite well, I might add. As long as you are not using a CMS to manage your documents, It would do well for you.

Anyway, for what it's worth, that's my 2 cents...

Bob