Re: Thoughs on reproducing what's on screen

["Kathi Jan Knill" <Kathi -dot- Knill -at- template -dot- com>]

What can you tell us about your audience?

----- Original Message -----
From: Brierley, Sean <Brierley -at- Quodata -dot- Com>
To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: Friday, October 01, 1999 11:44 AM
Subject: Thoughs on reproducing what's on screen


: Hallo:
:
: On one of my current projects I have a dilemma.
:
: One feature of the software is a report generator. The software includes
: some 35 standard reports and the capability of making customer-defined
: reports. The development team wants to help the customer determine
whether
: their needs are met by one of the included standard reports before the
: customer goes to the trouble of making a cusomized report.
:
: The development team wants, included in the book, the first page of each
of
: the 35 reports, so the customer can browse the book and look at the
reports
: to see what information each includes. The thought is that the customer
: would browse these 35 pages to determine whether a customized report is
: really needed.
:
: I am balking at this and would like to know whether you guys think me
: reasonable, or not.
:
: The reports are designed to print to a default printer at US-letter size.
I
: woulod capture each by printing to a PS file and making a PDF, which I
would
: subsequently import into FrameMaker. I print my my FrameMaker book to PDF
: for creation of a hardcopy book that ships with the software and send the
: PDF as an electronic book. As a company, we provide updates to the
: electronic books on our web sites. In addition, using WebWorks Publisher,
I
: then convert the printed material to HTML help.
:
: Because the reports are page-sized, I must reduce each to fit in the
: FrameMaker publication. Additionally, each PDF must be about 30k, time 35
: files. The PDF without these reports is 6MB. I would probably use
: conditional text to exclude these report pictures from the CHM (HTML
help).
:
: Nonetheless, I am opposed to adding the 35 pictures because of the file
: bloat they cause and because I dislike reproducing what a user sees on
their
: computer screen. Instead, I prefer to add a short, bulletted, admittedly
: unexciting text list of key information each report provides. Am I
: unreasonable in this? What do you guys think? Reproduce the first page of
: the report, as described, or no?
:
: Also, I am "technically" working on another "must-have-tomorrow" project
: <vbg>. This information on reports came to me this a.m., for a release .
 .
: this afternoon. Obviously, it's . . . er . . . not doable for this
release,
: as I have pointed out. Otherwise, the book for the product in question,
and
: the online help, has been done for two weeks now (developers are still,
as I
: write this, tweaking the software <huge grin>). I understand, fully, that
: this deadline activity is par for the course.
:
: Anyway, I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
:
: Sean
: sean -at- quodata -dot- com
:
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