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I'm not sure if there is much YOU can do about it, since you only handle
the English files, but your translators could use a tool that
essentially puts all the documents' text strings into a database along
with all localized versions of the strings. Then changes can be made by
text string rather than by section, page, or chapter. You might want to
check out our web site for more information on such tools.
Bill Burns
Technical Writer
ILE Communications Group
billdb -at- ile -dot- com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Trevor Keohane [SMTP:trevor_keohane -at- COMPUSERVE -dot- COM]
> Sent: Thursday, July 17, 1997 9:52 AM
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject: Document Customization
>
> Hi all,
>
> Can anyone help me with this requirement..?
>
> I'm in an environment where we produce a large number of documents in
> Microsoft word 95. These are 'One-Stop' documents that are used for
> training and online materials (we are using Doc-to-help to produce the
> he=
> lp
> from the word doc).
>
> The real killer of a problem is customization/localization. We send
> the
> docs out to country-level operations, who then localize the files.
> They i=
> n
> turn release the files to our customers who customize both the
> software a=
> nd
> the documentation.
>
> The problem we face is in updating the documents - both the local
> operations and the customers have a file with their work applied to
> it, a=
> nd
> don't want to lose that work and reapply it to the new version of the
> fil=
> e.
>
> I can't find any way of doing this. I essentially have two files that
> are=
>
> quite similar, but both have differences from the other. Word revision
> marks get confused if you do a compare or merge, and if two paragraphs
> ar=
> e
> in the same location but both contain revisions, it will overwrite one
> wi=
> th
> the other. Basically, revisions just aren't smart enough to do the
> job...=
>
>
> Does anyone know of any software that can handle this sort of problem?
> I'=
> ve
> searched around the usegroups and the internet but found nothing so
> far..=
> =2E
>
> Gary Bunker
>
> gary_bunker -at- cyborg -dot- com
>
> ~~
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