Chapter 1: Introduction; Why Use Mif; Using This Manual - Adobe FRAMEMAKER 10 User Manual

Chapter 1: 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 Adobe® FrameMaker® understands. Because MIF is an alter-
native representation of a FrameMaker document, it allows FrameMaker and other applications to exchange infor-
mation while preserving graphics, document content, and format.

Why use MIF?

You can use MIF files to allow FrameMaker and other applications to exchange information. For example, you can
write programs to convert graphics and text MIF and then import the MIF file into FrameMaker 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 information. You use
the database to enter, manipulate, sort, and select data. You use FrameMaker to format the resulting data. You use
MIF files as the data interchange format between the database and FrameMaker.
You can also use MIF files to do the following:
•
Share documents with earlier versions of FrameMaker
•
Perform custom document processing
• Set options for online documents in View Only format
These tasks are described in
these tasks. See "Other application tools" on page

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 7.0 of FrameMaker
To get the most from this manual you should be familiar with FrameMaker. For information about FrameMaker and
its features, see the documentation for your product. In addition, if you are using MIF as an interchange format
between FrameMaker and another application, you should be familiar with the tools needed to create and manip-
ulate the other application, such as a programming language or database query language.
This chapter provides basic information about working with MIF files, including opening and saving MIF files in
FrameMaker. It goes on to provide detailed information about the MIF language and its syntax.
"Applications of MIF" on page
51.
47. You can use other FrameMaker to perform some of
®
.
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