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Subject:Re: Single Sourcing From:Christine Pellar-Kosbar <chrispk -at- MERIT -dot- EDU> Date:Wed, 9 Jun 1999 11:05:54 -0400
Okay,
I hear you all saying that you really can't single source -- that web-based doc is
inherently different in structure and complexity that print. So, of course, there
is no technological solution -- no matter how hard I look, I won't find some
combination of Frame/webimport-export software that will allow me to create both
HTML and PDF versions of my doc. Well, if that is true, then aren't we saying we
will forever be saddled with an almost impossible maintenance problem? If you have
essentially two (and in some cases, three, when you include your training doc) sets
of documentation, what happens when the content changes? In my case, the content
changes weekly. I'm concerned that I will never be able to keep up with snapshots
and releases if I have to constantly focus on consistency issues between these sets
of documentation. Is there no simple solution? I had hoped that something like
conditional text in Frame would allow a simpler web version. Perhaps I am dreaming.
Christine Pellar-Kosbar
Technical Writer
Merit Network, Inc.