rr2g@rhonda.ce.Virginia.EDU (Rhonda Gaines) (11/08/90)
We're in a possible transition phase from troff to framemaker. Obviously before we make the purchase we want to have as many questions answered as possible. Which brings me to the point of this posting. Currently the way we process equations is with troff/eqn. We have a separate file with nothing but troff equation definitions ranging from sigma subscript x to huge matrices that when printed comes to about 20 pages. Our normal procedure is to write the troff file using $$ delimeters and put in the definition name (not the definition itself) for the equation we want to use. Can this or a similar (easy) form be done using framemaker? Or do you have to cut and paste from another document. -thanks -- Rhonda Gaines | University of Virginia phone: 804-924-6265 | Thornton Hall bitnet: gaines@virginia.bitnet | Applied Mechanics Program internet: gaines@virginia.edu | Charlottesville, VA 22903-2442
kim@Software.Mitel.com (Kim Letkeman) (11/08/90)
In article <1990Nov7.192715.2786@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> rr2g@rhonda.ce.Virginia.EDU (Rhonda Gaines) writes: | We have a separate file with nothing but troff equation definitions | ranging from sigma subscript x to huge matrices that when printed | comes to about 20 pages. Our normal procedure is to write the troff | file using $$ delimeters and put in the definition name (not the | definition itself) for the equation we want to use. Can this or a | similar (easy) form be done using framemaker? Or do you have to cut | and paste from another document. One method that would be fairly easy to use would be to create a directory filled with documents that contain a single equation. Frame lets you import a document fairly easily (using a pick menu), and it can import by copying or by reference, so you can save on storage if you are certain your equation location will not vary. Cutting and pasteing is a pretty good option as well, considering how much clip art uses that technique. (Frame makes it quite easy to cut and paste multi-page entities because the page automatically scrolls as you drag the mouse with the select button down.) Kim -- Kim Letkeman kim@software.mitel.com uunet!mitel!spock!kim
lark@tivoli.UUCP (Lar Kaufman) (11/08/90)
In article <1990Nov7.192715.2786@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> rr2g@rhonda.ce.Virginia.EDU (Rhonda Gaines) writes: > >We're in a possible transition phase from troff >to framemaker. ... >... We have a separate file with >nothing but troff equation definitions ranging from sigma subscript >...normal procedure is to write the troff file using $$ delimeters and put >in the definition name (not the definition itself) for the equation we >want to use. Can this or a similar (easy) form be done using >framemaker? Or do you have to cut and paste from another document. FrameMaker supports live links to other sources, including SQL database info. There would be no need to cut and paste. Of course, you have to build a database or something. FrameMaker's equation formatter is remarkable, and can dynamically solve equations using values linked to equation elements from other source files. Naturally, you will have to build equations that FrameMaker recognizes, not eqn format. FrameMaker also supports macro replacement in source files, so you can plug in a macro definition file that is read before the file you want to format, substituting values you want for the macro that is there. I don't know yet how extensive or powerful this substitution feature is... Perhaps it can substitute an equation for the macro? I'd certainly call Frame to find out about what you want. They have reason to be proud of their equation facility. (We too are in possible/probable transition to FrameMaker, in part because of the equation facility, and in part because of online documentation tools.) -lar