TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Usage of "mapping" From:Tim Altom <taltom -at- SIMPLYWRITTEN -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 28 Jun 1999 08:13:09 -0500
Actually, I think a lot of newcomers (and they're common in our business)
can benefit from this concept.
>Would someone please let me know in what situation "map" (verb)
>is used?
In most cases, "map" means to assign an object or element from one format or
situation, to be equivalent to an object or element in another format or
situation.
For example, automatic filters for HTML may take files from Word or
FrameMaker or even raw files like RTF, and map each style tag from the
original to a particular HTML tag. The ubiquitious "Heading 1" in Word might
have to be mapped to "<H1>", for instance. There really isn't much of an
algorithm at work. More like a lookup table.
This concept is extended into many areas where it's murkier. For example,
business processes are often said to be "mapped" to business process
software. Here you may need a true algorithm to do the mapping.
There there are even less precise concepts: Information Mapping, Mind
Mapping, and the rest. It spirals from there into the purely abstract and
academic.
Tim Altom
Simply Written, Inc.
Featuring FrameMaker and the Clustar Method(TM)
"Better communication is a service to mankind."
317.562.9298 http://www.simplywritten.com
