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Subject:RE: Help without manuals From:"David Knopf" <david -at- knopf -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 7 Nov 2001 12:16:44 -0800
Yigal Rahamim wrote:
| While researching single-sourcing I found two major approaches:
|
| The "real" single-sourcing is a database driven solution which is mostly
| based on XML. This approach does not allow "tweaking" of the output
| deliverables (manual, help).
|
| The other approach is very common I choose to call it "discount"
| single-sourcing. This approach uses a combination of common
| authoring tools
| like Word, RoboHelp, FrameMaker, ForeHelp, and WebWorks Publisher.
It's really not accurate to group the Frame/WebWorks Publisher solution in
with the RoboHelp and ForeHelp solutions. Here's why:
-> With RoboHelp or ForeHelp, you do not maintain a single set of source
files. Instead you export from your source files to some other output
format. For example, you create an HTML Help system and then you export to
printed documentation (in the form of a Word .doc file). Typically, a
significant amount of manual adjustments must be made to the .doc file
before you can actually print and distribute it. Therefore, you are not
maintaining a single set of source documents and, any time changes are
introduced to your HTML Help system, you must re-produce the printed
documentation and re-execute all the manual adjustments. This involves
changing the *output* of the single source process, which is a violation of
a cardinal rule in single source workflows.
-> With FrameMaker and WebWorks Publisher, you maintian a single set of
source documents in FrameMaker and, if you do it right, you absolutely never
under any circumstances need to make any adjustments to the output you
produce (HTML, HTML Help, WebWorks Help, JavaHelp, etc. etc.)
This is a non-trivial distinction that makes WebWorks Publisher a far better
single source solution for many who produce printed and online content.
RoboHelp MVP & Certified RoboHelp Instructor
WebWorks Publisher Certified Trainer
Member, Sun's JavaHelp 2.0 Expert Group
Member, eHelp's RoboHelp Community Advisory Board
Co-moderator, HATT & wwp-users
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