Adobe FrameMaker is the WYSIWYG authoring tool of choice for XML applications. FrameMaker 7.0 includes a wealth of features that make authoring XML content much more efficient and practical9. There are direct exports for both HTML and PDF document instances. Authoring in the structured view provides designers with an excellent means of understanding and using FrameMaker to create valid XML documents10
Adobe FrameMaker imports the XML data elements into a template. That template defines styles associated with the element definitions in the element definition document (EDD11). This means that it is not necessary to parse the XML and XSLT together to result in a formatted document instance. As the document is created, by adding structural components to the current document, the user sees the final format of their document. This only makes sense when you are using FrameMaker as your publication tool. Otherwise, what the author sees is only the best approximation the XML programmer can make with an XSLT of the normal output from FrameMaker styles.
Adobe FrameMaker can export files directly through Webworks to HTML12 This is an option for training projects that rely extensively on interrelated print and online media. It can be easier to coordinate and publish the learning materials required if they are developed as a single source project. The base content is available from the XML repository, either as FrameMaker files or directly as XML.
Adobe FrameMaker also exports into Adobe Acrobat very well. Creating Acrobat files with FrameMaker allows you to include a lot of advanced Acrobat features13 directly in the FrameMaker document, rather than having to modify the resulting PDF with Acrobat later. Creating Acrobat files with other programs, such as Microsoft Word, is much less efficient, unless the advanced features of the Acrobat format are not needed.
The downside of Adobe FrameMaker is that all this additional capability comes at a cost: it is not really very intuitive, especially for designers who are accustomed to Microsoft Word. It requires specialized technical expertise to set up correctly. Once it is set up, designers must be extensively trained in how to use FrameMaker properly. Many Word users are frustrated by the additional structure imposed by using XML. On the plus side, FrameMaker helps users to construct valid XML and informs them when their content is not valid. Of course, once they know that their content is not valid, they may need to have someone handy who really knows FrameMaker and its templates to help them fix it.
Templates are the key. It is absolutely necessary to employ a dedicated Adobe Frame-Maker expert to create templates. Most organizations do this on a consulting basis with one of the many Adobe/FrameMaker consulting firms.
Adobe has extensive training resources available, for a fee. They have a great deal of experience in implementing Adobe FrameMaker as an enterprise tool. If your organization makes the top-level commitment to pursuing an Adobe-enabled XML solution, the kind of support and expertise available from Adobe is unequaled elsewhere in the industry[2].