Can I convert legacy FrameMaker 2015 files to Confluence?

[Donna Burns]

The most recent posts re FrameMaker file conversion to Confluence were from 2016; has anyone found an efficient and painless way to make such conversions?

[Bill Bailey · Accepted solution]

I am a huge fan of FrameMaker, but have turned to the dark side of Confluence because of the ease of collaboration. ;-)

I have not seen any workable methods. As strange as it may sound, it might be easier to export Frame to Word, then import the Word files. Then using the source editor, use regex to clean up the pages (or if you want, write scripts to do most of the cleanup).

While it is labor intensive, it probably ends up being the quickest way. And it would be possible to train clerical staff to do a lot of this work once you debug the process.

[Donna Burns]

Many thanks for your quick response; turns out we are following in your footsteps for exactly the same reason :-)

As a trial, we are currently converting a smaller legacy FrameMaker 2015 document (along with its historical conditional text) into PDF, then using Acrobat Pro DC to export the PDF document into Word document. Heading numbers, etc. appear to convert well; however, cross-reference links are broken and will need tidying up in the Word document before importing the Word doc into Confluence....In your experience, once you import into Confluence:

• Did you have to re-apply heading/paragraph styles in Confluence?
• *IF* you've imported conditional text in the past (which we wish to retain as a historical internal record ONLY and not share with our customers), did you find a way to retain that conditional text?
  
  
  

[Bill Bailey]

Well I would make the Word file as clean and plain-jane as possible. Don't try to preserve links. And maybe move away from things like numbered headings. Basically need to move from the FrameMaker to the Confluence domain.

Once you have a clean Word file, there is an import function, and you can set it up to break pages at heading levels (very useful for large docs).  Headings will be preserved, but a lot of special formatting probably won't be (or may actually have to be cleaned out).

On the conditional text, how are you sharing your docs with Customers? On the same server, external server or via PDF?

[Donna Burns]

Hi Bill, and many thanks for your July 19 response. Discussions within our company are continuing re the way forward for our technical documentation (including several large legacy documents that are currently in FrameMaker); other newer documents from across our product range are in Word. As we move closer to a final decision re a collaborative writing/editing process, I would certainly like to continue our conversations (and perhaps invite one or two of the managers to join us, if you're OK with that).

[Bill Bailey]

Sure