Split large documents

Introduction

Generally, when you import a Word or any other document, it is imported as one large document in FrameMaker. The next task in getting your document ready for use is to split the large document into smaller, manageable chunks or chapters. Use the Split Current Document functionality to split a large FrameMaker document into smaller chapters.

The Split Current Document functionality allows you to split any large document using one ore more paragraph formats or a marker. By default, when you import a document, FrameMaker creates matching paragraph formats in the imported document. You can also create a marker and apply the marker at the heading level where you want to split the document. You can also add marker text, which is used to create the file name of the split chapter. At the end of the document splitting process, FrameMaker generates a book and associated chapters that are created on the basis of the paragraph formats or split markers.

Split a document

To split a large FrameMaker document, perform the following steps:

1. Open the document that you want to split.

2. Choose File > Utilities > Split Current Document.

   The Split a Document dialog appears.

3. In the Split a Document dialog, specify the following document splitting parameters:

   • Source Document: lists the name of the file being split.

   • Create in folder: choose a folder where the book file and split chapters are saved.

   • Whitespace in File Names: the document splitting process creates a file for every split chapter. The file name is created using the heading text. In case there are spaces in heading text, choose how you want those to be handled while creating file names. You can choose to handle the whitespace in file names as:

     • Keep the whitespace.

     • Delete the whitespace.

     • Replace the whitespace with an underscore.

     • Replace the whitespace with a hyphen.

   • Special Characters in File Names: Similar to whitespace, choose how to handle any special character in the file name. You can choose to:

     • Delete

     • Replace with underscore

     • Replace with hyphen

4. Click Next.

5. Select whether you want to use a marker, paragraph formats, or both to split the document.

   Note: You can choose multiple paragraph formats to split the document. However, to keep the document structure clean and simpler, you should not choose more than 2-3 formats.

6. Click Analyse.

   FrameMaker shows a structure of the book and chapters that will be created based on the selected marker and/or paragraph formats.

7. (Optional) Rename the book or chapter files.

   • The first file in the list is a book file. To rename the book file, select the book file, enter the desired file name in the text box, and click Rename Book.

   • Select any chapter file, enter the desired file name in the text box, and click Rename Document.

   Note: Double-clicking on a chapter file name takes you to the corresponding heading/topic in the source document.

8. (Optional) If you do not want to create a separate file for any chapter in the list, you can remove it and merge its content with the preceding chapter in the list. To merge any chapter, select it and click Remove from File List. The selected chapter gets merged with the preceding chapter in the list.

   Similarly, if you want to create a separate file for a merged chapter, select the chapter file and click Convert to File.

   While merging or splitting a file, FrameMaker automatically takes care of managing the sequencing of the file and document structure as per the source document.

9. Click Start the Split.

10. Click Done.

The log file of the document splitting process is shown in a browser and the new book file is opened in FrameMaker.