RE: Modular documentation

["Sarah Bouchier" <Sarah -dot- Bouchier -at- exony -dot- com>]

PS being able to be safely integrated using Perforce would be a bonus...

----------------------------------------- 
Sarah Bouchier 
Technical Author 

exony 


>-----Original Message-----
>From: techwr-l-bounces+sarah -dot- bouchier=exony -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+sarah -dot- bouchier=exony -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
On
>Behalf Of Sarah Bouchier
>Sent: 20 September 2006 14:01
>To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>Subject: Modular documentation
>
>Hi guys,
>
>
>
>I'd +love+ some advice on documentation tools for producing modular
>documentation.
>
>
>
>As of next month, my company are moving over to using a single code
base
>to produce all their products, so they can produce plain X, X with Y, X
>with Z, X with client A branding etc without having to work on four
>different versions of the code.
>
>
>
>Obviously, I'd like to do the same with the documentation.  I can't use
>the simple expedient of having a document for X plus add-on documents
>for Y and Z, as adding Y and Z change a raft of things (providing
>additional options and the like) within the main product.
>
>
>
>What I'm going to need, therefore, is a source user manual with +all+
>the information in it, from which I can select whether to output any of
>the above combinations.
>
>
>
>I'm aware that this can be done with RoboHelp (being both lazy and
>apparently psychic, I already set it up to do this with our online
>help), but a) most of our manuals are currently in Word, and I've been
>given to understand that the conversion is a pig and b) if there's a
>better tool to use, since I'm going to be having to convert almost all
>our docset anyway, this is the time to change to it.
>
>
>
>The company is almost certain to go with whatever I suggest - after
this
>week, I'll be the only technical author here, and I report directly to
>both the VP of Engineering and the COO - so I want to make the +right+
>decision, as I and anyone else we take on in the future will be stuck
>with it :-)
>
>
>
>S.
>
>-----------------------------------------
>Sarah Bouchier
>Technical Author
>
>exony
>
>
>
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