PatternStream Architecture
PatternStream connects to any and multiple SQL and ODBC compliant databases and flat files and publishes information into FrameMaker, InDesign, XML, HTML, Excel, and other file types. The application manages database information resulting from queries, stored procedures, and other methods by placing them into a series of objects that are controlled by the user defined scheme. The scheme may include information on which variable database information may be placed into text strings, tables, text frames, and image frames. The scheme also describes how the FrameMaker or InDesign template is used to format each object. An example would be relating specific paragraph and character tags or styles to a string template. PatternStream has a GUI that is used to establish the scheme and control the publishing process. The application communicates with the database to query and obtain information and with FrameMaker and InDesign in both directions to obtain template information and to publish the database information.
Patent Award
Application Interface
PatternStream Extensibility
FrameMaker and InDesign Functionality Extension
- Using a page grid system that enables specific placement of items on page
- A three column text layout, within a two column page, having first two columns straddled dynamically
These non-native FrameMaker and InDesign features allow the PatternStream database publishing system to publish beyond FrameMaker’s and InDesign’s standard means. In addition to database and flat file connectivity, data acquisition, publishing project structuring and control, PatternStream drives the FrameMaker and InDesign formatting engine programmatically and increases its capability.
The PatternStream Architecture has been constructed using the current state of art C++, Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC), and Microsoft .Net programming in combination with use of the Frame Developers Kit (FDK) and the InDesign software development kit (SDK). This method has created a high performance application that is base for extensibility. Using the FDK and SDK ensures complete integration with FrameMaker and InDesign. PatternStream connects to any and multiple SQL and ODBC compliant databases and flat files and publishes information into FrameMaker, InDesign, XML, HTML, Excel, and other file types. The application manages database information resulting from queries, stored procedures, and other methods by placing them into a series of objects that are controlled by the user defined scheme. The scheme may include information on which variable database information may be placed into text strings, tables, text frames, and image frames. The scheme also describes how the FrameMaker or InDesign template is used to format each object. An example would be relating specific paragraph and character tags or styles to a string template. PatternStream has a GUI that is used to establish the scheme and control the publishing process. The application communicates with the database to query and obtain information and with FrameMaker and InDesign in both directions to obtain template information and to publish the database information.