Adobe framemaker 6.0 User Manual
6
Introduction
MIF (Maker Interchange Format) is a group of ASCII statements that create an easily parsed, readable text
file of all the text, graphics, formatting, and layout constructs that most FrameMaker
file of all the text, graphics, formatting, and layout constructs that most FrameMaker
®
products (with the
exception of FrameReader
®
) understand. Because MIF is an alternative representation of a FrameMaker
document, it allows FrameMaker products and other applications to exchange information while
preserving graphics, document content, and format.
preserving graphics, document content, and format.
Why use MIF?
You can use MIF files to allow FrameMaker products and other applications to exchange information. For
example, you can write programs to convert graphics and text into MIF and then import the MIF file into
a FrameMaker product with the graphics and text intact. You can also save a FrameMaker document or
book file as a MIF file and then write a program to convert the MIF file to another format. These conversion
programs are called filters; filters allow you to convert FrameMaker document files into foreign files (files
in another word processing or desktop publishing format), and foreign files into FrameMaker document
files.
example, you can write programs to convert graphics and text into MIF and then import the MIF file into
a FrameMaker product with the graphics and text intact. You can also save a FrameMaker document or
book file as a MIF file and then write a program to convert the MIF file to another format. These conversion
programs are called filters; filters allow you to convert FrameMaker document files into foreign files (files
in another word processing or desktop publishing format), and foreign files into FrameMaker document
files.
You can use MIF files with database publishing applications, which allow you to capture changing data
from databases and format the data into high-quality documents containing both text and graphics infor-
mation. You use the database to enter, manipulate, sort, and select data. You use a FrameMaker product to
format the resulting data. You use MIF files as the data interchange format between the database and the
FrameMaker product.
from databases and format the data into high-quality documents containing both text and graphics infor-
mation. You use the database to enter, manipulate, sort, and select data. You use a FrameMaker product to
format the resulting data. You use MIF files as the data interchange format between the database and the
FrameMaker product.
You can also use MIF files to do the following:
•
Share documents with earlier versions of FrameMaker products
•
Perform custom document processing
•
Set options for online documents in View Only format
These tasks are described in “Applications of MIF” on page 60. You can use other FrameMaker products to
perform some of these tasks. See “Other application tools” on page 64.
perform some of these tasks. See “Other application tools” on page 64.
Using this manual
This manual:
•
Describes the layout of MIF files.
•
Provides a complete description of each MIF statement and its syntax.
•
Provides examples of how to use MIF statements.
•
Includes MIF statements for version 5.5 of the following FrameMaker products: FrameMaker
®
,
FrameViewer
®
, FrameMaker+SGML
™
.