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RE: XML-based Help Authoring tools for customized help
Subject:RE: XML-based Help Authoring tools for customized help From:"Char James-Tanny" <CharJT -at- helpstuff -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 11 Dec 2003 13:18:49 -0500
I'm using DocBook right now (on Linux, with emacs). My advantage is that the
subset of tags I should use was already defined, and a co-worked set up all
my batch files for me so that I just have to remember what to type (and when
;-) )
One advantage is that I tend to hand-code HTML/XHTML, so I'm not finding
emacs too hard.
However, if the question deals more with the purpose of what she needs (an
ability to produce customized documentation easily) and less about using
XML, Karen might want to look at AuthorIT (http://www.author-it.com), which
lets you create multiple books (for example, one for each customer), reusing
content where possible and customizing the places that need it. It's less
expensive than some of the other tools that were mentioned, has less of a
learning curve than DocBook, is still completely customizable...
Char James-Tanny ~ JTF Associates, Inc. ~ http://www.helpstuff.com
2004 Microsoft Help MVP ~ MSHelpWiki http://www.mshelpwiki.com
AuthorIT Certified Consultant ~ AuthorIT Development and Training
RoboGURU: RoboHelp Consulting, Development, and Training
Moderator, HATT and MSHelp2
Web site Hosting and Design ~ http://www.jtfhosting.com
> We seem to be poised on the brink of one of those endless
> "religious wars" about tools, schemas, etc. So, I'll step
> back a bit. One of the reasons that I'm so fond of Docbook
> is that I've used nothing else for about a decade and it's
> reached the point of being "second nature." I'm almost more
> comfortable with it now than with something like Word.
> However, I recognize that's not the case for most people.
RoboHelp for FrameMaker is a NEW online publishing tool for FrameMaker that
lets you easily single-source content to online Help, intranet, and Web.
The interface is designed for FrameMaker users, so there is little or no
learning curve and no macro language required! Call 800-718-4407 for
competitive pricing or download a trial at: http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l4
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