---
name: "sdngen"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "sdf"
version: "2.001+1-9"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/sdngen"
---

# sdngen(1)

SDF Tuning File Generator

## NAME

sdngen - SDF Tuning File Generator

## PURPOSE

*sdngen* extracts SDF template information from a *FrameMaker* template.

## USAGE

```
 usage  : sdngen [-h[help]] [-o[out_ext]]
         [-l[log_ext]] [-O[out_dir]] [-p para_root]
         [-f font_root] [-t tbl_root]
         [-e existing_template] file ...
purpose: generate an SDF template from a Frame one
version: 2.000    (SDF 2.001)
```

The options are:

```
 Option       Description
 -h           display help on options
 -o           output file extension
 -l           log file extension
 -O           output to input file's (or explicit) directory
 -p           default parent for a paragraph format
 -f           default parent for a font format
 -t           default parent for a table format
 -e           existing template file
```

## DESCRIPTION

The -h option provides help. If it is specified without a parameter, a brief description of each option is displayed. To display the attributes for an option, specify the option letter as a parameter.

By default, generated output goes to standard output. To direct output to a file per input file, use the -o option to specify an extension for output files. If the -o option is specified without a parameter, an extension of *out* is assumed.

Likewise, error messages go to standard error by default. Use the -l option to create a log file per input file. If the -l option is specified without a parameter, an extension of *log* is assumed.

By default, generated output and log files are created in the current directory. Use the -O option to specify an explicit output directory. If the -O option is specified without a parameter, the input file's directory is used.

The -p option can be used to specify the root paragraph format from which others are derived. The default paragraph root is *Body*.

The -f option can be used to specify the root font (i.e. phrase) format from which others are derived. The default font root is *Emphasis*.

The -t option can be used to specify the root table format from which others are derived. The default table root is *Format A*.

As formats often appear in families (e.g. Heading1, Heading2, etc.), *sdngen* will use the (alphabetically) previous format as the parent if it makes a better parent (i.e. there are less differences) than the default one.

If a template already exists, it can be specified using the -e option. In this case, *sdngen* will get as much information as it can from that file including:

- •

  the root format for each type

- •

  the order of formats within a type

- •

  the parent for each format.

Within each type, formats which are unknown in the existing template are output after those that are known.

## EXAMPLES

To generate an SDF tuning file file:

```
     sdngen -osdn mytemplate.mif
```

This will create a template file called *mytemplate.sdn*.