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Subject:Re: FW: Which came first: the manual or the help? From:mmorgan -at- intrepid -dot- cdg-hargray -dot- com To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com Date:Tue, 14 Sep 1999 15:37:42 -0500
Actually, I'm getting ready to do both simultaneously.
It's not going to be easy, but I'm going to write them
in FrameMaker. My plan is to try and write in a style
suitable for both mediums, but in the instances where
this is not possible, I will put conditional tags on the
information suited for PrintOnly or HelpOnly. Then I'll
take the FM file straight into help using WebWorks
Publisher. What I'm shooting for is one authoring
environment for all types of output. I know some have
mentioned authoring in a database format, but I'm not
ready to cross that bridge until I become more versed
in the structure.
Anyway...
I've done a trial run on this approach, using a small
piece (15 pages) of the big brand new
application I'll be writing about. The process went
pretty good, but it did require a different kind of
approach---thinking on three levels simultaneously
(Level1-User, Level2-Manual, Level3-Help). I'm hoping
to get closer to a single-source approach as I hone
my skills in this kind of thinking. I'll let ya know how
it goes.
Cheers!
Melissa Morgan
mmorgan -at- intrepid -dot- cdg-hargray -dot- com
