Re: Navigation in pdf

[Bill Bledsoe <bill -dot- bledsoe -at- CMS-STL -dot- COM>]

Michel, all...

I was reading Michel's dilemma here with PDF, and a couple of parts
struck me below that I wanted to chime in on...

Michel Vallee wrote:
>
> I'm trying to establish if Adobe Acrobat can really be a solution in
> the online vs. paper issue, at least for my company's needs. Presently we
> distribute a large set of documents both in html (online) and pdf
> (printable) formats. It would be nice to have only one document that
> meets all needs.

Well... I dunno... I think the a piece of paper and the computer screen
are so inherently different, that having one document for both may only
be nice for the technical communicator, and not for the user/consumer.
Given the litany of differences in resolution, that ever elusive "feel
quotient," as well as the way people are looking for information in the
middle of a task (going to a book can be more disrupting or less
disrupting... depending upon the nature of your "information quest," and
the design of whatever "help" you'd be comparing to), I guess I just
haven't seen any examples of "single sourcing" that was "worth it" for
my audience.  Sure, I could save time, but am I doing the best thing for
my audience?  I believe this is the question that you need to ask.

As to your problem, I think that if you wanted to use PDF as a
distribution method for your documents, and not as the primary means of
people consuming them (i.e. put them on a CD and EXPECT them to print
them) that's more of what PDF is good at.  A LOT of PDF files head to
the printer before the Screen.  But, the HTML should be used in
conjunction with your software (?).  It should be right there... ready
for quick access.

> IMO, right now HTML does not qualify on either side: still
> lacking basic feature like popups, contents and index (these should
> come with html-help, but when?),

I have to beg to differ.  They're here now.  Netscape NetHelp has all of
the features you've mentioned you want, today.  And, MS HTMLHelp is
supposed to be released in its first release in August, again with the
features you mentioned you want, now. The only catch is...The major help
authoring tools (HATS) will have to catch up with releases a bit... but
they are.  I'd imagine that by fall you'll see D2H and RH have authoring
solutions for both of the major HTML Help platforms that are much more
pallitable than what they have now.  But, the beauty of HTML help is,
you don't need a specialized tool to do it.  A text editor and the right
attitude and you can get started, today.

just throwin' in my $.02 worth on a sunny Saturday morning in St. Louis,
where we're wondering if Dick Dimock will ever impart more of his
glorious wisdom and wit on the list anytime soon ;-)
--
****************************************************
Bill Bledsoe
Senior Technical Writer - CMS
Bill -dot- Bledsoe -at- cms-stl -dot- com or intlidox -at- anet-stl -dot- com

"I'm out on a limb where the fun begins"
              Adrian Belew/The Bears
****************************************************
If Bill Said it, Bill said it... Not CMS.  Got it?
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