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Subject:RE: Single sourcing vs. normalization From:Rose -dot- Wilcox -at- pinnaclewest -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 19 Sep 2003 09:38:44 -0700
<<Because your content is organized by subject, it is much easier to
validate its accuracy and completeness and to ensure that changes in the
world are propagated to the affected content quickly and easily.
Normalizing content in the fashion does not require the use of a
relational database system, though it may be useful.
Not all content is worth normalizing. There is a role for the
spreadsheet approach as well as the database approach.
>>
Hello, Mark, that leads me to another question. The advantages of
normalizing content for accuracy, completeness, and efficient process
seem clear. What are the effects on usability for the reader?
Obviously documentation that is usable and complete meets two of the
most important criteria, but does normalization have any implications
for some of the other aspects of documentation that affect user
understanding? I am thinking primarily of organization of knowledge,
and I am guessing the quality of organization could affect the usability
of the normalized content objects.
Other aspects, such as consistent use of terminology, etc., are probably
taken care of in the model, although you didn't seem to call them out
(forgive me if I missed them, it's Friday.) That is when one normalizes
the data, another rule to apply might be consistency in terminology.
Again, are there resources about this, or are you still writing that
book? Thanks for one of the most crun-chewy topics I have seen on this
list recently.
Rosie
Rose A. Wilcox
CHQ, 17th Floor, 034
Tranz1 QA/Documentation
602-250-2435
Rose -dot- Wilcox -at- PinnacleWest -dot- com
"The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Fences
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When crossing over fences, carry water with you and tend the grass
wherever you may be." - Robert Fulgham
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