RE: HTML editor: does everyone need to be on the same page?

["Glenn Maxey" <glenn -dot- maxey -at- voyanttech -dot- com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: didjit *** [mailto:didjit_ -at- hotmail -dot- com]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 11:35 AM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: HTML editor: does everyone need to be on the same page?
> 
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I am working on a project where the project lead is obsessive 
> about making 
> all of the writers involved use a specific HTML editor.  
> While I am flexible 
> about the tools that I use, the tool about which this project lead is 
> obsessive, requires me to use an operating system I'd rather 
> not.  Hint: 
> it's a Microsoft product. I don't have any problems with 
> Windows, but if I can just abide by a set of coding guidelines 
> that will ensure my HTML is up 
> to spec, do I really need to switch operating systems?

The line breaking (LF/CR) mechanism is different between Windows and
Unix. This has not been a problem for me with respect to what gets
displayed in a browser.

However, this has been a problem for me when I wanted to do a quick edit
(e.g., for testing purposes). The Unix generated files don't have line
breaks that are recognized in Windows, so Notepad puts everything on one
REALLY long line. The Windows generated files have these extra
characters polluting the ends of each line when viewed in vi on Unix.

I work on a project that has half the HTML output generated on Windows
(using Mif2Go to export from FrameMaker) and the other half generated on
Unix (using Doxygen to parse through the source code).


> Would you all venture to say that if we are all supplying 
> HTML as the source 
> it is the quality of the HTML source that I deliver that needs to be 
> accurate, and this does not have anything to do with the 
> editor that is used?
> 
> Does anyone know of, or possibly fathom, a reason that one 
> particular HTML 
> editor needs to be used in a collaborative project? 

Sometimes there is post-processing that you want to do on the HTML
files.

In my case, I regularly update the disclaimer in the footer and have the
means to change out the navigation whenever I want across all HTML
files. I wrote these tools myself using Perl. (I also extract headings
for my own TOC and index, as well as other found items for my index.)
Unfortunately, I make assumptions about the nature of the HTML files
based on what I observe being generated. 

I don't really care that garbage gets into my HTML files from some HTML
editor (or generation tool). At least let the garbage be the same and
consistent (e.g., from the same tool) so that I can remove it
gracefully.

So, I side with your manager. 

IMHO documentation should be consistent in what you see in the output
(e.g., PDF, print, and browser), but more importantly should be
consistent in the underlying structure. Nothing complicates a
documentation project quite like having inconsistent styles and formats
(like in Word or FM) even though the output might be equivalent.
Although properly coded HTML is more tolerant, the tools that may have
to play well with variations of the same HTML might not be so forgiving.


Glenn Maxey
Voyant Technologies, Inc.
Tel. +1 303.223.5164
Fax. +1 303.223.5275
glenn -dot- maxey -at- voyanttech -dot- com


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