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RE: XML-based Help Authoring tools for customized help
Subject:RE: XML-based Help Authoring tools for customized help From:eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 17 Dec 2003 11:15:34 -0500
"Bill Lawrence" <scribe -at- matrixplus -dot- com> wrote on 12/17/2003 10:36:41 AM:
> The ideological purity comes into play when you're part of a
> consortium with a lot of players adding to the doc. When I was
> with IBM and we were contributing to products at the Open Software
> Foundation, keeping Docbook pure helped ensure that all of the
> various players(and their various tools) could use the documentation
> source without problems. It's much less of an issue if you're not
> worried about other folks using your source.
Unfortunately, I often find there's an awful lot of ideological purity in the
SGML/XML world that often, while grounded in some truth, isn't necessarily
helpful or useful in its implementation. One of these is the idea of a central
data repository and standardised DTDs like Docbook.
If the information has to perform multiple back and forth operations between
multiple editors and creators, then those in that loop MUST be using the same
system. Or, at the very least, the systems at each end must be able to handle
input that doesn't contain any specific extensions/definitions and outputs to
the central system by stripping the extensions. Or, some transparent method
needs to be developed to move information in and out of the repository. If code
can be developed in a parallel fashion in CVS systems, surely something similar
could be done for shared XML.
If on the otherhand, extensions and redefinitions are extremely beneficial to
the authors and editors and eventual sharing and reuse does not include
modification of information at both ends, the often slavish following of
SGML/XML purity or Docbook purity sometimes enters the realm of the absurd. All
you have to ensure is that the data sent onwards into the larger system conform
to the vanilla DTD. And if you don't have an immediate need or concrete future
projected for interoperability, why waste current productivity and improved
workflow for the sake of a pie in the sky possibility?
The only point that would be of importance is that if you want to be able to
adopt other tools or processes as they are developed, track the changes you make
to the standard implementation so that any future new pieces to the puzzle can
easily be made to fit.
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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