RE: XML-based Help Authoring tools for customized help - a better tool

["HALL Bill" <bill -dot- hall -at- tenix -dot- com>]

I'd like to give this thread the detailed attention it deserves, but I
simply don't have the time at the moment.

However, the gist as I understand it is that many people are now looking
for authoring tools able to author directly into a controlled XML
environment that understand and can help authors with the semantic
construction of what they are writing much more than targeting specific
delivery formats (formatting now increasingly being separated from the
logical and semantic structure of the documents).

I've had the opportunity to work with a locally developed technology my
company assessed for authoring and managing legal documentation (which
presents many of the same structural problems that tech docs do).
Basically, what is provided is an XML editor (SmartEditor) able to
configure itself to an arbitrary DTD for authoring directly into XML -
the company provides a DTD able to support a sophisticated query and
decision tree logic for adding prompts and choices into the "precedent";
an "instance editor" (SmartDrafter) able to use the precedent to "fill
in the blanks" based on responses to the questions built into it, as
well as the ability to add stock blocks of text maintained in a "clause
library"; and an output engine able to deliver RTF or PDF documents. All
this is combined with Software AG's Tamino XML database engine
(SmartRepository) to manage document components, versions, etc.

My impression is that the SmartEditor is probably ready for Tech Doc
prime time. Depending on how much commonality there is between your
documents, you would either do the bulk of your authoring in the XML
editor or SmartDrafter as your primary authoring tool. The system is
primarily browser based. My understanding is that the SmartEditor is a
client. The SmartDrafter uses your browser as a client.

The tool is SmartPrecedent and is developed by the Melbourne, Australia
based SpeedLegal (http://www.speedlegal.com). I understand they are able
to sell and support into North America and Europe.

I have no connection with SpeedLegal other than having assessed the
product for internal use and knowing some of its developers. Due mainly
to infrastructure solutions being low on our priority lists, we still
haven't implemented any solution in the XML space (we currently use
FrameMaker+SGML in our tech docs area), but SmartPrecedent is still a
standard of comparison when we think about what we want to do.

Regards,

Bill Hall

Documentation Systems Analyst
Head Office, Engineering
Tenix Defense
Williamstown, Vic. 3016
Phone: 03 9244 4820
Email:bill -dot- hall -at- tenix -dot- com
URL: http://www.tenix.com

Honorary Research Fellow
Knowledge Management Lab
School of Information Management & Systems
Monash University
Caulfield East, Vic. 3145
Phone: 03 9903 1883
Email: william -dot- hall -at- infotech -dot- monash -dot- edu -dot- au
URL: http://www.sims.monash.edu.au/research/km/
 

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