Re: Can a PDF contain whatever I want it to?

[David Calloway <writebrain1 -at- comcast -dot- net>]

Whirler:

Your question addresses PDF structure, but you're actually asking about the
content structure. Think of your goal as a hierarchy of information
components, in which each Topic can stand alone, while assembling the Topics
creates a consistent whole as a Subject.

HERE'S HOW:

- Structure each Topic like a web newsletter. People like to read
newsletters, and it's an opportunity to be a bit creative. It's what Bill
Horton (www.horton.com) calls a "user-seductive" model. Write catchy,
headline-like headings, too, and you'll draw readers into learning even
more.

- The Subject heading sets your overall identity, and goes at top of every
document.

- The Topic heading goes below that, followed by the lead article (in this
case, the document topic.)

- Either below that, or in a side column, put the Topic TOC. In newsletters
it's commonly to the right, although web convention puts it on the left.

- The masthead info can go at the bottom of the TOC, or in an actual
masthead at the bottom of the second or last page.

- Keep the Topic article lean and to the point, use as many sidebars and
graphics as you can, and link to them from the TOC.

- Create a "header document" containing the master TOC, a Subject article,
and an "About this document" topic that explains WHY you used the structure
you did.

- Write the Subject intro in first person active voice. The reader will like
you, and be more inclined to like the document. If you're a contractor and
know you won't be there when the document's used, there's a way to handle
that. Just think of yourself as a guest writer. You wouldn't expect Tom
Clancy to be working in the Docs department, would you?

David Calloway, M.Ed.
WriteBrain Communicates Technology
Helping IT and Business Work and Learn Together
URL: www.AudiKnow.com

----- Original Message -----
From: Writer Whirler
To: TECHWR-L
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 12:07 PM
Subject: Can a PDF contain whatever I want it to?

I am writing help for an application that has many user roles. The help
files, which will be in PDF format, will be customized so that you see help
only for the roles you can perform.

This may seem like a "duh" kind of question, but here goes. In the past, any
PDF I produced was a complete user guide: title page, TOC, etc. But for this
project, where the help that is available is more like a "menu" of files
(after you click Help, a page displays that lists the major help topics,
which are links to PDFs, for your tasks.) Since most of these topics are
going to be no more than a few pages, having each one have a title page,
TOC, etc. seems like overkill. But I can't think of a better, more
streamlined way to do it.

Anyone out there have any thoughts? Thanks.



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