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Chapter 2: Using MIF Statements
MIF statements can completely describe any Adobe® FrameMaker® document, no matter how complex. As a result,
you often need many MIF statements to describe a document. To learn how to use MIF statements, it helps to begin
with some simple examples.
This chapter introduces you to MIF, beginning with a simple MIF example file with only a few lines of text.
Additional examples show how to add common document objects, such as paragraph formats, a table, and a custom
page layout, to this simple MIF file.
The examples in this chapter are also provided in online sample files. You can open these examples in FrameMaker
and experiment with them by adding additional MIF statements. Look for the sample files in the following location:
Working with MIF files
A MIF file is an alternate representation of a FrameMaker document in ASCII format. MIF files are usually generated
by FrameMaker or by an application that writes out MIF statements. You can, however, create MIF files by using a
text editor or by using FrameMaker as a text editor. This section provides some general information about working
with MIF files regardless of the method you use to create them.
Opening and saving MIF files
When you save a FrameMaker document, you usually save it in Normal format, FrameMaker’s binary format for
document files. To save a document as a MIF file, choose Save As from the File menu. In the Save Document dialog
box, choose Interchange (MIF) from the Format pop-up menu. You should give the saved file the suffix
.mif
to
distinguish it from a file saved in binary format.
When you open or import a MIF file, FrameMaker reads the file directly, translating it into a FrameMaker document
or book. When you save the document in Normal format, FrameMaker creates a binary document file. To prevent
overwriting the original MIF file, remove the
.mif
file suffix and replace it with a different suffix (or no suffix).
If you use FrameMaker to edit a MIF file, you must prevent it from interpreting MIF statements when you open the
file by holding down a modifier key and clicking Open in the Open dialog box.
Save the edited MIF file as a text file by using the Save As command and choosing Text Only from the Format pop-
up menu. Give the saved file the suffix
.mif
. When you save a document as Text Only, FrameMaker asks you where
to place carriage returns. For a MIF file, choose the Only between Paragraphs option.
In this version
Look here
UNIX
$FMHOME/fminit/
language
/Samples/MIF
, where
language
is the language in use, such as
usenglish
Windows The
MIF
directory under the
samples
directory
In this version
Use this modifier key
UNIX
Shift
Windows
Control or Shift