Adobe Framemaker
Description
Powerful online/paper-based publishing package. Well suited to large, complex documentation projects. Standard and SGML versions available for UNIX, Mac and Windows.
Strengths
- Easy to assemble complex (multi-file) documents ("books")
- Easy re-ordering of chapters/sections/parts
- Powerful frame feature for placing text and graphics
- Automatic update of tables of contents, indexes, master indexes
- Automatic update of numbering streams and cross references between documents
- Imports many graphic and text formats (including Word)
- Use of master pages to provide layout for document pages. Master pages provide a reliable method of ensuring that headers and footers work as required
- Ability to create hyperlinks in documents then export to other formats (including PDF and HTML)
- Integrated line-drawing tools
- Scientific equations
- Conditional text
- User-defined variables
- Ability to import styles, conditional text and other elements from other documents
Weaknesses
- "Dated" feel to user interface
- Significant knowledge required to create and format tables of contents
- No native macro language or automation features
- Single level of undo