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Subject:RE: in search for better tools From:GILLIOTTE Valérie <vgilliotte -at- mega -dot- com> To:'Robert Lauriston' <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>, "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Wed, 9 Dec 2009 07:43:09 +0100
Hello again,
I understand the concept but how can we kwow in advance which verb we need to use ?? This seems so complicated to me... I guess I need to see a real-life example for it. Or maybe I need some holidays, maybe all of this might get clearer to me afterwards. I hope so anyway ... ;-)
I still have a question about XML that has been mentionned earlier. You said it could not solve my problem here. I thought I understood you could apply a metadata to a string (which acts as a condition)? Am I wrong here ?
I am going to think about all this again an will let you know if I found a solution for it ...
-----Message d'origine-----
De : robert -dot- lauriston -at- gmail -dot- com [mailto:robert -dot- lauriston -at- gmail -dot- com] De la part de Robert Lauriston
Envoyé : mardi 8 décembre 2009 21:02
À : GILLIOTTE Valérie; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Objet : Re: in search for better tools
It doesn't matter whether it's product names or concepts.
If the article might change, make that part of the variable. If it might be singular in some cases in plural in others, make the verb part of the variable.
2009/12/8 GILLIOTTE Valérie <vgilliotte -at- mega -dot- com>:
> Hello,
> The problem is that variables are not necessarily names of products. It can be names of concepts. We write our documentation in French, where there is a gender problem, unlike in English. I can't think variables can work here, or maybe I did not understand all of it. ??
> We don't have Mif2Go but I'll look at it more deeply...
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> -----Message d'origine-----
> De : robert -dot- lauriston -at- gmail -dot- com [mailto:robert -dot- lauriston -at- gmail -dot- com] De
> la part de Robert Lauriston Envoyé : mardi 8 décembre 2009 18:38 À :
> GILLIOTTE Valérie; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Objet : Re: in search
> for better tools
>
> You should consider handling this with variables. You just need to maintain a set of variables for each variation, and import the correct set when generating deliverables. It's a good idea to create a generic set where the variable value is its name in angle brackets for use when writing and editing and a template for variable definitions in which the variables are sorted alphabetically and each is preceded by its name in plain text. It's no more complicated to maintain ten sets of variables than two.
>
> In FrameMaker, the number of conditions per document determines how complicated it will be. If you only need two different sets of deliverables, it's trivial. More than that, it takes some effort and you need to document the procedure carefully. If you have up to ten variations, upgrading to FrameMaker 8 or 9 to get the new conditional statements might be worth the money--though note that FrameMaker 9 has a completely new UI that may interfere with your work, particularly if you're used to driving FrameMaker from the keyboard.
>
> Webworks vs. MIF2Go makes no difference here. If you have MIF2Go, there's no reason to waste any more money on WebWorks, just switch to MIF2Go.
>
> 2009/12/8 GILLIOTTE Valérie <vgilliotte -at- mega -dot- com>:
>> Hello !
>>
>> Thanks for your input all ...
>>
>> About the many people having sucessfully managed dozens of conditions with old Frame versions, I had heard of that but we had not had the need so far, and now the complexity it involves scares me. I thougt Frame 9 was a better solution, but you're right, it might not be the case.
>>
>> For now we don't know exactly how many conditions we would need as products are growing fast here ... That's the problem and that's why I am scared of dealing with conditions with Frame 7.
>>
>> @ Robert : is it the number of variations per document that matters ? (if so we might not reach 10) or the number of conditions for all our products (some products are totally separate, fortunately). I might enquire on a Frame-specific list ...
>>
>> I kwow about the necessary upgrade to a proper version of Webworks (prices are so high now), I've just enquired. Maybe we could look into Mif2Go instead but I know it is not WYSIWIG and I don't know if it can replace Automap.
>>
>> Personnally I would not mind not rushing but my boss is scared at the
>> idea of keeping up the work with an un-supported version of Webworks
>> and Automap (I would be a bit too within a couple of years maybe)
>>
>> Someone suggested looking into Flare, as the import from Frame works well apparently ... I don't know.
>>
>> Thanks for the clarification about XML and structured Frame. Actually, it could help on another of our problems maybe: filtering the documentation to the proper profile of user, but I'm still not sure. Maybe there is another way too.
>
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