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Structuring Documents with FrameBuilder


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Process


Validating

Once a file's structure has been generated, it must be validated. At its simplest, validating is a game of connecting the dots--only the dots are elements.

Once you begin validating, forget about character and paragraph tags--focus on elements. You achieve a valid structure by arranging the elements in a manner that conforms to the Extended Document Definition (EDD).

The EDD governs the organization of the document by allowing only certain elements to be used within or following any particular element. See Peter's course notes for more information. The course notes are Frame files and are located in icarus:/home/cash/work/training.

The Structure View and the element catalog

The Structure View window and the Elements window (commonly referred to as the element catalog) are crucial to the validation process. The Structure View displays the structure of the document, while the catalog lists elements (assuming the cursor is in a Builder window).

In the Builder document, select the [ ] square at the top of the right scroll bar of the Builder window to display the element catalog. Then select the square containing the "bubble diagram" immediately below the [ ] square to open a Structure View window. These windows can also be opened via the menu bar.

To determine which elements are valid for a particular location in a document, place the cursor in the corresponding location in the structure view and click the left mouse button.

Note how the element catalog changes in the next two figures as the cursor location changes.

In Figure 2, the left mouse button was pressed with the cursor between the <Head> and <Introduction> elements. The first two elements in the element catalog are valid (can be inserted "legally") at that position. The question marks next to elements 3 through 5 indicate that those elements are valid for the current location, but if inserted, any sibling and children elements would become invalid.

In Figure 3, the left mouse button was pressed with the cursor between the second and third <Para> elements. The first 19 elements of the catalog are valid for the new cursor location.

When viewing the element catalog, note that the elements that are valid for the current location of the cursor are at the top of the list, with checkmarks to the left (see Figure 2). (All elements listed may have checkmarks depending on the display option selected.)

To view all elements, select the triangle in the lower right-hand corner of the Elements window (see Figure 3). In the resulting window, select Catalog Display Options -> All Elements.

Having all elements listed is useful because you can wrap part of the document in an invalid element, then move the element (and its text) to a location at which that element is valid. Also, if you define any keyboard macros, having all elements available is sometimes necessary.

With a newly opened document, the element catalog defaults to displaying only the valid elements, unless the file had previously been saved with the catalog showing all elements (or some other display option).

Editing in the Structure View

The Builder file can be edited in both the main window and in the Structure View window. In the latter case, editing is restricted to elements; the elements can be cut, copied, pasted, or moved. In Figure 4, the highlighted section of the structure view corresponds to the highlighted section of the document.

Procedure for validating

The list below details items that you must perform for every newly structured file:

Examples of validly structured documents

Look at the templates for examples of structured documents.

To browse the chapt.struct template, select
File -> New -> Convex/ -> small/ -> chapt.struct.

The templates can be very helpful in determing how to wrap items.

Validating a book

Once you have validated all the files of a book, validate the book file itself. This book file must include the title and copyright information. Also, the book must be generated to check cross-references. Figure 6 provides a structure view of a book showing the wrapping of front matter and appendixes.

To validate a book select Element -> Validation... ->Entire Book from the Structure View menu bar. All component files must be valid for the book to be valid.

After validating a book file, export the book to SGML as discussed in the "Exporting" section.


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