Smart Paste

Understand what Smart Paste is and how it helps to paste content from HTML, Word, Excel or Outlook as DITA content in Adobe FrameMaker.

In this topic

Introduction
Smart Paste content in a DITA file
Add Smart Paste XSL for a custom XML application

Introduction

FrameMaker allows you to paste HTML, Microsoft® Word, Microsoft® Excel, and Microsoft® Outlook content as DITA content. You can also create and configure XSLTs for other FrameMaker Structured Applications. Using XSLT, FrameMaker identifies the content while it is in the clipboard and structures it with the most appropriate hierarchy or sequence of elements. Then you can use the Smart Paste command to paste it to FrameMaker as DITA content.

Note: When you paste text of a specific direction (LTR or RTL) into a FrameMaker document, you need to ensure the text direction of the destination location (document, table, or paragraph) is set to the same direction.

The content you paste is structured according to an XSLT specified in the relevant Structured Application. In FrameMaker, the XSLTs are specified for the following DITA documents:

Topic
Task
Concept
Reference

The XSL filename and path are specified using the Stylesheet element (Stylesheets > XSLTPreferences > SmartPaste > Stylesheet).

The Smart Paste XSLTs for DITA are located in the following folder:

$STRUCTDIR\xml\DITA_1.2\app\technicalContent\xslt\

Smart Paste content in a DITA file

To smart paste content in a DITA file:

Copy HTML, Microsoft® Word, Microsoft® Excel, or Microsoft® Outlook content.
Place your cursor in one of the following types of DITA topics: topic, task, concept, or reference.
Select Smart Paste from the context menu. The keyboard shortcut for Smart Paste is Esc+s+p+t.

The pasted content is structured in appropriate elements that the structure allows.

Add Smart Paste XSL for a custom XML application

You can also create an XSLT for smart pasting content for your custom Structured Application.

Create an XSLT appropriate for your EDD.
Open the structapps.fm file.
Under <Stylesheets>\<XSLTPreferences>, add the <SmartPaste> element and the following elements under it:
1. <Stylesheet>: Path to the relevant XSLT file.
2. <StylesheetParameters>: This element has two child elements: <ParameterName> and <ParameterExpression>. See a DITA application in structapps.fm for details.
Save the file.
Choose Structure > Application Definition > Read Application Definitions.

Now you can use Smart Paste for an XML file based on your custom application.