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Actually structured content today using single-source DITA is as conditional
as you want.
Content chunks are tagged with metadata like audience, product, etc. and
then the deliverables can include different content for audience=""newbie"
and audience="beginner".
DITA is way more than the latest version of XML.
True, it is a markup language standard like XML and SGML that allows you to
have a content model and structure your content. But DITA is also an
end-to-end publishing solution.
DITA has many features, culled from decades of research in methods for
technical documentation - modularity, structured authoring, information
typing, minimalism, inheritance, specialization, simplified XML,
single-source, topic-based, conditional processing, component publishing,
task-orientation, content reuse, multiple output formats, multi-channel
delivery, translation-friendly.
f you don't understand all these features, you may not appreciate what DITA
can do for your organization, or for yourself if you are a freelance writer.
At DITA Users <http://www.ditausers.org>, we are trying to educate ourselves
as to what structured content and component content management has come to
mean today.
Cheers,
Bob.
On 6/22/07, quills -at- airmail -dot- net <quills -at- airmail -dot- net> wrote:
>
> At 8:28 AM +0100 6/22/07, Gordon McLean wrote:
> >Thanks to everyone who has chosen to respond to my question.
> >
> >The information mapping topics, whilst interesting, aren't really
> answering
> >my question. I asked, specifically, about "structured writing" or
> "writing
> >for single source", I also mentioned that I'm more interested in how best
> to
> >shift a docs team from writing chapters, to writing distinct chunks of
> >information. Hence why I titled my email "Writing structured content" not
> >"What is structured writing"... Too subtle, right?
> >
> >A. the rewriting of existing content
> >B. a distinct method of writing content in the future, which allows for
> >maximum re-use.
>
> Then I'm stumped, why ask if you know the answer?
>
> If you are doing the job correctly you are already writing structured
> content.
>
> From Macro to micro. Your chunks are discrete portions of a procedure
> or whatever that can stand alone. Your write from that view to
> accomplish the objective of that topic. The more narrow the topic the
> more detailed and smaller is the chunk. Think tasks. Each task is
> separate.
>
> As for single source. Well, that doesn't work too good if your
> audience changes as well as presentation and what or why you are
> presenting that information. An experience programmer doesn't have
> the same needs as a newbie. Nor does an administrator need the same
> type of information as does a user.
>
> Single source is only allowed for the same audience. If you use
> structured writing, you might, and I emphasize might, be able to
> reuse portions in different documents. Though again, because of the
> needs of your audiences, you might not.
>
> And procedural won't work with informational information needs.
>
> So what do you really want to discuss?
>
> Scott
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> Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
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>http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
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Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
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