TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Nevertheless, a PDF file with no links can be useful, if it can be indexed
with Catalog. In fact, for my PDF based programming work, I rarely use the
bookmarks (although they are here), but almost exclusively the Search
function.
On the other hand, I agree with you that the document is worth much more
when it is internally (and externally) cross-linked.
There is nothing to comment to the advantages you list.
Just my Zweiräppler.
Max Wyss
PRODOK Engineering
Low Paper workflows, Smart documents, PDF forms
CH-8906 Bonstetten, Switzerland
Certainly, a PDF file with no links or bookmarks that is intended primarily
for printing
is not an on-line document--It's just a way for the publisher or product
manufacturer to
avoid the cost of printing and distribution, with (hopefully) the cost
saving passed on
to the consumer. In addition to the initial cost savings, this method has
two more
advantages:
1. System administrators can't confiscate the printed books and lock them away,
depriving users of access to the information.
2. Updates/revisions can be distributed quickly and economically.
But a PDF document with a multi-level collapsible TOC for bookmarks, richly
supplemented by
internal and external cross-reference links, is certainly a true on-line
document that has some
distinct advantages over HTML, WinHelp, RoboHelp, etc. Those advantages
include:
1. If, the user does opt to print out the document or parts thereof s(he)
is assured that
each page will be fully replicated.
2. PDF replicates the typography and page layouts of high-end DTPs, and it
has been shown
that well-designed documents can substantially improve comprehension
and retention of
complex technical information. These improvements apply to on-line
reading as well as
printed-book reading.
3. Acrobat has full text search and retrieval capabilities that far exceed
those available in
most other browsers.
4. Acrobat allows users to customize the zoom setting to match their
individual reading
comfort needs.
5. Acrobat also allows users to zoom in to a high magnification on a
section of a page. This
can be important when viewing complex illustrations.
6. A single PDF document can intermix different page sizes and orientations
(e.g., landscape
and portrait orientations, as well as foldouts for schematics, flow
diagrams, etc.).
