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Subject:Why Duplicate Efforts? From:Paul Hanson <PHanson -at- Quintrex -dot- com> To:Tech Writers List <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>, STC Lone Writer SIG <stclwrsig-l -at- stc -dot- org>, no-bull-techcomm -at- egroups -dot- com, parametrica -at- listbot -dot- com, Winhelp List <WINHLP-L -at- ADMIN -dot- HUMBERC -dot- ON -dot- CA>, Tech Comm List <techcomm -at- user -dot- itconsult -dot- co -dot- uk> Date:Fri, 9 Jun 2000 13:48:39 -0500
"If a programmer has to write up a spec with the information that is
used to create help text, why not have the programmer create the help
text? Why have a duplication of effort, since the help text is
information from the specs? If a .hlp file is to be created, why can't
the Technical Writer just edit out the program changes, like changing
calls from File A to File B (assuming the change has no impact on the
user), and have a .hlp file?"
Any opinions, agree or disagree, welcome for meeting I will attend next
week.
I am looking for specific, perhaps anecdotal, examples of how you have
(ahem) handled this flavor of premise from a programming department. I
will summarize, if this creates a thread.
