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FM version converting

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This procedure describes how to convert FM version 6 books and topic files to FM version 7 and back again.

The problem of converting between FM versions is created when different writers working with the same source files have these different versions installed. The files must be converted to the different version before the other writer can work on the files. In this example, the original author created the document using FM6, and the editor uses FM7. After editing, the original author needs to have the files translated back in FM6.

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To convert FM6 to FM7 files

  1. Make a backup copy of the original source files.
  2. Open the original FM6 book in FM7.

    3. FM7 will prompt you that it's opening a previous version book:

    xyz

  3. Press OK.
  4. Save the book as an FM7 book under its original name (do not rename it), by selecting the book file in the tree and pressing Ctrl+S or from the FM menu, selecting File | Save Book As.
  5. Open each file in the book individually and save as FM7 files under their original names (do not rename them). If prompted to reformat using available fonts, select OK.
  6. Rename the book and append "-V7" (without the quotes) to its name by selecting the book file in the tree and from the FM menu, clicking File | Save Book As.
  7. Rename each file and append "-V7" (without the quotes) to its name by selecting the file in the tree and right-clicking it to produce the popup menu, then clicking Rename File.

    8. FM7 will prompt you that it's about to update links and rename files: 

    xyz

  8. Press OK.

    9. FM7 will further prompt you that it's renaming the file in the book:

    xyz

  9. Press OK.
  10. Repeat steps 7 to 10 for each file in the book. 

You can then proceed to edit the V7 files using FM7. When you need to convert the files back to FM6, see 'how to convert FM7 to FM6 files'.

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To convert FM7 to FM6 files

  1. Make a backup copy of the edited source files (not explained in this procedure—manually copy the folder containing the files using Windows File Explorer).
  2. Open the edited FM7 book in FM7.

    3. This is a 2 stage process:
    - The first stage creates copies of FM7 files and renames them as V6, so that the V7 files remain for further editing purposes if required;
    - and the second stage reformats the duplicated and renamed files as version 6 files, for return to the writer.

    Stage 1: Duplicating and renaming

  3. Rename the book and append "-V6" (without the quotes) to its name by selecting the book file in the tree and from the FM menu, clicking File | Save Book As.

    4. Do not save the files as V6 files just yet, as they need to update their links during the rename process, and to do so whilst still in FM7, they still need to be V7 files.

  4. Rename each file and alter "-V7" to "-V6" by selecting the file in the tree and right-clicking it to produce the popup menu, then clicking Rename File.

    5. FM7 will prompt you that it's about to update links and rename files: 

    xyz

  5. Press OK.

    6. FM7 will further prompt you that it's renaming the file in the book:

    xyz

  6. Press OK.
  7. Repeat steps 4 to 6 for each file in the book. 

    8. You can then proceed to resave the edited V7 files as V6 files using FM7.

    Stage 2: Resaving as Version 6

  8. Resave the book as V6, by selecting the book file in the tree and from the FM menu, clicking File | Save Book As.

    9. The 'Save Book' dialog will display: 

    xyz

  9. In the 'Save as type' field, select Book 6.0 (*.book), and click Save.

    10. FM7 will prompt you that you're regressing to an earlier featureless version: 

    xyz

  10. Press OK.

    11. You will be prompted to overwrite the V7 file you created earlier in Stage 1 of this procedure.

    xyz

  11. Press OK.
  12. Swap to an open file in the book, and select File | Save As from the FM menu.

    13. The 'Save Document' dialog will display: 

    xyz

  13. In the 'Save as type' field, select Document 6.0 (*.fm) and click Save.

    14. FM7 will prompt you that you're regressing to an earlier featureless version: 

    xyz

  14. Press OK.

    15. You will be prompted to overwrite the V7 file you created earlier in Stage 1 of this procedure.

    xyz

  15. Press OK, and close the file. It can no longer be edited in FM7 anyway.
  16. Repeat steps 12 to 15 for each file in the book.
  17. Close the book, and files now labelled as V6 can be zipped up and sent back to the writer.

See Also

Lotech Solutions' Tips, Tricks, and Procedures

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