Using SGML as HTML and publishable source

[Noreen Casey <casey -at- OSF -dot- ORG>]

Hi all;

My current project is to write an
internal system administration guide in SGML (with the ADEPT
editor). I plan to convert the SGML source to HTML for
online reading (via Mosaic), and LaTex for hardcopy.  Will this
work? I have some doubts about the efficacy of using a single
source. I anticipate that the users will primarily be reading
this document online. If I  take full advantage of the hypertext
capabilities of the online version (icons, "click here" buttons,
etc.), the hardcopy version will look very strange! On the other
hand, if I write the source so that it formats appropriately in
both types of output, I'm afraid the the hypertext version will
be dry and uninteresting. (The people I am writing for like
bright, shiny things...)

I'm leaning towards some type of conditional markup (e.g., #ifdefs)
in the source, but the documentation tools designer thinks it would
be better to just avoid hypertext-specific phrasing.

I would appreciate any advice or opinions you have on this subject.

Note that when I first subscribed to the list several weeks ago, I
saw a post about HTML that seemed to be the tail end of a thread
started before I subscribed. If this subject has already been
discussed (to death), please let me know.

Thanks!
Noreen Casey

Senior Documentation Engineer (I am not making this up!)
Open Software Foundation
Cambridge, MA
casey -at- osf -dot- org