Adobe FrameMaker
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | David Murray, Charles Corfield, Steven Kirsch, Vickie Blackslee |
| Fate | Acquired by Adobe Systems |
| Successor | Adobe Systems (October 1995) |
| Products | FrameMaker |
Adobe FrameMaker is a document processor tailored for the creation and editing of extensive or intricate documents, including those that are structured documents. Initially created by Frame Technology Corporation, the software was acquired by Adobe in October 1995.
Overview
Following Adobe's acquisition, FrameMaker incorporated support for SGML, which was later extended to accommodate XML. In April 2004, Adobe ceased providing support for FrameMaker on the Macintosh platform. Despite speculation about its discontinuation in 2001, Adobe maintained development, issuing multiple updates: FrameMaker 8 (2007), 9 (2009), 10 (2011), 11 (2012), 12 (2014), the 2015 release (internal version 13.0), 2017 (14.0), 2019 (15.0), 2020 (16.0), and 2022 (17.0).
FrameMaker offers two distinct document methodologies: structured and unstructured.
- Structured FrameMaker guarantees uniformity in sectors such as aerospace and pharmaceuticals, where standardized documentation and translation are essential. It employs SGML and XML concepts through an Element Definition Document (EDD), a proprietary FrameMaker Document Type Definition (Document Type Definition). The EDD specifies document architecture using nested elements, context-sensitive formatting rules, and attributes or Metadata utilized for single source publishing or output filtering for print or web distribution. Writers can examine the document either as a grammar-based tree structure or as formatted content.
- Unstructured FrameMaker depends on tagged paragraphs without imposing a logical framework beyond the author's use of organizational and formatting tags.
Opening a structured document within unstructured FrameMaker causes the loss of the original document structure.
MIF
MIF (Maker Interchange Format) is a specialized markup language developed to complement FrameMaker. It fulfills three primary functions: representing FrameMaker documents in a straightforward ASCII-based format that is accessible to other software and readable by humans; enabling cross-version compatibility so any FrameMaker version can open files created in other versions through MIF; and protecting authors' work by saving documents in MIF format if FrameMaker unexpectedly terminates.
Every document generated interactively in FrameMaker can be fully expressed in MIF, though certain features are only accessible via MIF editing. All versions of FrameMaker can both export and import MIF files, including those produced by earlier releases or alternative applications.
History
Frame Technology was established in 1986 by David Murray, Charles Corfield, Steven Kirsch, and Vickie Blackslee. While pursuing his doctorate in astrophysics at Columbia University, Corfield developed an early WYSIWYG document editor prototype named /etc/publisher on a Sun-2 workstation. This prototype garnered interest from Sun Microsystems, which utilized it as demonstration software to highlight their graphics capabilities.
Kirsch and Blackslee, formerly with Mouse Systems, brought Murray on board as Director of Application Software Development. After witnessing Corfield’s prototype at Sun Microsystems, the three founded Frame Technology with Corfield relocating from New York.
Initially targeting SunOS on Sun workstations, FrameMaker rapidly gained popularity as a technical writing solution and became profitable. Taking advantage of the growing desktop publishing market, the software was ported to Apple Macintosh systems. In the early 1990s, several UNIX workstation manufacturers—including Apollo, Data General, MIPS, Motorola, and Sony—commissioned OEM versions tailored to their platforms.
At its height, FrameMaker supported more than thirteen UNIX platforms such as NeXT Computer's NeXTSTEP, Dell's System V Release 4 UNIX, and IBM's AIX. Both Sun Microsystems and AT&T contracted Frame Technology to develop a version compatible with the PostScript-based NeWS windowing system featuring the OPEN LOOK GUI standard.
FrameMaker earned acclaim for allowing authors to produce highly structured, typographically advanced documents using an intuitive WYSIWYG interface. Subsequent ports included Microsoft Windows, but this transition diluted its focus on professional markets. The Windows edition’s $500 price significantly undercut the $2,500 cost of UNIX/Mac licenses, leading to erosion of its core user base. Efforts to attract home desktop publishers were unsuccessful due to the software’s complexity.
After Adobe Systems acquired Frame Technology, they reoriented towards professional users with the release of Adobe FrameMaker 5.1 in 1996. Although still favored by technical writers, Adobe never launched a native Mac OS X version, creating tension with Mac users and Apple itself—who relied on FrameMaker for documentation before switching to InDesign. As late as 2008, Apple’s manuals were produced using FrameMaker 7 running in Classic mode.
Between versions 5.x and 7.2 (1995–2005), development primarily focused on bug fixes and XML integration rather than major interface or feature enhancements; multiple undo functionality appeared only in version 7.2.
FrameMaker 8 (2007) introduced support for Unicode, Flash, 3D, and integrated built-in DITA, compatible with Windows (2000, XP, Vista) and Sun Solaris (8–10).
FrameMaker 9 (2009) delivered a redesigned user interface, comprehensive DITA support, improved media handling capabilities, enhanced PDF generation, and stronger WebDAV-based CMS integration while dropping support for Sun Solaris and Windows 2000.
FrameMaker 10 (2011) further polished the UI and added integration with content management systems such as EMC Documentum 6.5 SP1 and Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007 SP2.
Additional FrameMaker Solutions
- FrameMaker Publishing Server functions as a web-based document processor tailored for the automated production of reusable content. Through its browser interface, users can combine various data sources to generate comprehensive outputs suitable for diverse platforms and devices.
Competitors and Alternatives
Prominent rivals within the technical publishing sector include Arbortext, Interleaf, and Corel Ventura. Among academic circles, LaTeX is often favored for its enhanced editing capabilities, with applications such as LyX facilitating LaTeX document creation without requiring extensive expertise. Other options for technical documentation encompass DocBook XML, Help authoring tools, and XML editors.
See also
External links
- FrameUsers.com – The largest online resource and community for FrameMaker users
- History of FrameMaker
- Adobe FrameMaker Online Forum