Re: structuring a complex document in PDF
I'm reorganizing a user's guide so that it is more task-oriented
than it is oriented towards teaching them how to use the
interface - that is, "How can I do this part of my job" rather
than "How do I make the program do this thinge"
This is well and good, except that it's a very complex product
that helps our users do very complex things. The guide is
currently 370+ pages, and getting larger all the time. The prior
writers in their wisdom chose to have the graphics inserted, not
linked, and there are a lot of them... so it's pretty huge.
In order to make the proposed structure clearer, we felt we
needed to divide the book into sections: 1 - Developing your
application, 2 - Maintaining your application, etc.
AFter months of comments and reviews and revisions,we now have
approval of the approach and signoff on the outline.
The problem is, we deliver this doc as PDF. If we were printing
it, I'd put in section tabs and be done with it... but I don't
think that Acrobat has the equivelent of tabs. Or do they? What
is the best way to handle sections and chapters in a PDF? or is
there any good way?
There is no single good way. :-(
I can think of three ways to do what you are talking about.
1. Format the source to have distinct Sections with everything subordinated to them. Use Bookmarks to reflect this hierarchy, and have the PDF open with the Bookmarks section opened.
2. Segment your PDF file into multiple, linked PDF files. This is complex, time-consuming, and difficult to maintain if not documented.
3. Use Threads in the PDF file.
If you are doing this without PDF tools that help you auotmate this, you will not be happy.
Scott
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