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Subject:Re: Single Sourcing From:Xiang Li <xli -at- FEDERALAPD -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 30 Jun 1999 16:17:14 -0400
Gail:
(I think it might be a good idea to send to the list so that others can
share)
Sorry that I could not reply to your message yesterday. I was busy with
work.
The idea of single sourcing is to produce one source and obtain many
outputs so that you do not need to maintain two or more products which is
not quite possible now. What I did was to develop online help with Robohelp
7.0, and generate manual out of the help source files. However, it took me
a long time to modify the manual because I have to implement different
styles for help and manual. For example, in online Help you use links, when
it is converted into manual, the links will not automatically converted
cross references, you have to manually define the cross reference. I still
have to maintain the manual and help depending upon what kind of
maintenance it is.
The advantage of doing this is that I do not need to go between two
programs (previously our help is in Robohelp and manual is in FrameMaker).
After I generated manual from Robohelp, it is a word document, and Robohelp
works with MS word.
Another way to do single source is to use FrameMaker to produce the manual
first, and use a special program to convert the manual into online Help.
Sorry that I forgot the name of the program or who makes it. It will cost
you around $300.
Let me know how you decide to implement single sourcing.
-----Original Message-----
From: Gail_Waldron -at- psdi -dot- com [SMTP:Gail_Waldron -at- psdi -dot- com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 1999 11:53 AM
To: xli%FEDERALAPD -dot- COM%PSDI -dot- COM -at- psdi -dot- com
Subject: Single Sourcing
Hi Xiang. Our technical writing group is at the beginning stages of looking
into
how to implement single sourcing. Do you have any tips for us on what you
found
helpful when you were were considering single sourcing? I'd appreciate any
information you could give us.
