FrameMaker 9 has a new interface that includes these features:

The following most frequently used dialog boxes have a new interface designed to simplify your work.

Complete list of instances in a document

For example, the Markers pod lists all the markers in a selected document.

Easy selection of an instance

For example, you can select a marker entry from the pod instead of the document.

Instant navigation to the document context

For example, selecting a marker from the pod simultaneously highlights the marker in the document.

Ability to perform any operation from the pod

For example, you can create, edit, delete, or search for any instance from a pod.

New pods in FrameMaker 9:

Conditional text pod

Manage conditions in a document from a single pod. Create or edit conditions, apply conditional criteria to documents, and view versions based on conditions.

Cross-references pod

Manage cross-references in a selected document or all open documents. Add, edit, and troubleshoot internal and external cross-references across multiple documents from a single pod.

Markers pod

Manage markers in the selected document or all open documents. Add, edit, search, and troubleshoot all types of markers in a document from a single pod.

Fonts pod

Lists fonts, including combined fonts, used in a document. The Replace Font pod lists the pages where a font is used, making it easier to swap in unavailable fonts.

Insets pod

Manage and troubleshoot insets in a document, including text insets, graphics, and multimedia objects imported by reference or copied into documents.

Variables pod

Create, insert, edit, and delete variables, or convert them to text. Perform any of the variables-related operations using the Variables pod.

FrameMaker 9 has enhanced support for DITA 1.1. Some of the key DITA-related enhancements are as follows.

• New dockable user interface for editing and managing DITA maps and bookmaps like a FrameMaker book.

• Enhanced support for <xref> and <conref> elements, including support for nontextual elements, such as graphic objects, tables, and table components as well as <conref> elements from DITA maps.

• Conditional processing through a DITAVAL file to create custom outputs.

• Enhanced support for relationship tables and <lockTitle> attributes.

• DITA indexing specialization, which allows for Index, See, and See Also entries.

• Ability to save a DITA map as a composite FrameMaker document for further processing. You can directly print a composite document to a PDF without using DITA Open Toolkit.

The book feature has been considerably enhanced in FrameMaker 9. You can create mixed hierarchical books that can include XML and DITA files, folders, groups, and child books at multiple sublevels.

Mixed books

You can now include multiple file types, such as XML and DITA files along with FM files in a book. Structured FrameMaker provides full support for XML files, including the ability to specify conditional text and numbering information.

Folders

You can use folders in a book to organize files and set numbering properties on a folder. You can include multiple subfolders within a folder and associate templates with a folder. A folder, depending on where it appears in the book hierarchy, works like a chapter, section, or subsection with subordinate components.

Groups

You can also organize files into groups.

Book in a book

You can now include a book within a book to build a complex hierarchical parent book.

Bookmaps and DITA maps in a book

You can also include XML maps, such as bookmaps and DITA maps in a book.

Search

Search and replace works on all book components except child books, DITA maps, and folder templates.

Section and subsection numbering

You can use the new variables <$sectionnum> and <$subsectionnum> to set numbering properties for book components at the section or subsection level.

Exclude property

You have the flexibility to prevent the publishing of selected files by setting the Exclude property.

Saving hierarchical books

You can save hierarchical books as MIF, XML, SGML, or HTML files, FrameMaker 8 book files, or PDFs.

In FrameMaker 9 you can import comments and text edits from a tagged PDF into your source FrameMaker files. You can import the following types of comments into a FrameMaker 9 document:

• Sticky notes

• Highlights

• Highlights with comments

• Text additions

• Text replacements

• Text edits, such as underlining

• Text deletion or strikethrough

Comments are inserted as tracked text edits or tracked markers that you can accept or reject as required.

FrameMaker 9 is IPv6 compliant and supports IPv6 URLs. FrameMaker also supports HTTP paths ubiquitously in all FrameMaker workflows. You can create, open, save, update, check in, and check out files directly on a WebDAV-enabled server by specifying the HTTP path of the file through the Browse URL dialog box. This feature provides a quicker and more intuitive way of working with files stored on remote WebDAV-enabled servers. You can access and cross-reference all FrameMaker supported files, including graphics, by specifying the HTTP path of the file.

Unicode support in FrameMaker 9 has been extended. You can now use a UTF-32-enabled character palette and Hex Input palette to enter Unicode characters in a document.