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Just as writing for online help has a style, and writing for print has
particular considerations, so too does writing for single-sourcing have its
own technique.
For example, I recommend you make extensive use of cross-references. Do not
create dead-end topics, ones to which a person can navigate in the online
help and then get stuck with nowhere to go. My headings have a
cross-reference list of next lower-heading levels in the section, such that
a Heading2 would have a cross-reference to all the heading3s in its section.
Never follow a heading with another heading. This works in printed docs but
not online, where it results in blank topics. Consider using conditional
text to set up online and print conditions. Consider tagging the anchored
frames of superfluous screen captures and graphics with the print condition
so they stay out of the online help where they are less useful. Shorten your
topics so they fit on-screen; consider being less verbose. Make a thorough
index. Carefully consider your vocabulary. Book, chapter, page, and the like
fail to have meaning in online help. However, remember you can take
advantage of the linear layout of printed materials. An online help
publication can be linear even though it does not have to be navigated in
linear fashion.
Anyway, there's some thoughts.
Cheers,
Sean
sean -at- quodata -dot- com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: GILLIOTTE Valérie [SMTP:VGilliotte -at- MEGA -dot- com]
>
> single-sourcing in mind. We will be using Frame and WWP. Up till now we
> had
> two separate sets of files for Print and Help (using Word not Frame). We
> are
> therefore new to Framemaker, WWP and ... single-sourcing!
>
> We have started to define a template in Frame. Now and before moving to
> the
> writing part to test our template we want to know more about the pitfalls
> of
> single-sourcing with those tools (about documentation structure etc.).
>
> I have collected some information from a WWP manual, a few whitepapers
> form
> Scriptorium. But if some of you have interesting stories to share or point
> me to additional resources, we would feel more confident.
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