TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
RE: XML-based Help Authoring tools for customized help
Subject:RE: XML-based Help Authoring tools for customized help From:Sean Wheller <seanwhe -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 11 Dec 2003 06:53:13 -0800 (PST)
Michael,
Technically Docbook is a DTD, you're right. What I was
trying to ask was had Karen considered using an XML
Publishing Tool Chain that was based on Docbook.
As you say, it should do the job. OpenOffice.org does
produce valid Docbook XML. But, if I had a choice I
would go for a less WYSIWYG option. Something like the
oXygen XML Editor http://www.oxygenxml.com
However, I do understand that many writers are
distracted when they have to author in a code view.
Epic is a good choice, if the budget exists.
I don't know about Frame and Docbook. I do know that
there is a Frame + SGML.
Still, I think it that WYSIWYG/M interfaces tend to
reduce the flexibility that is available when editing
in source view. This is one of the reasons many people
still use emacs+psgmls.
The problem with the emacs route is learning emacs and
installing the tool chain. A tool like oxygen obviates
the need to learn how to install the tool chain and
lets the author straight down to writing documents.
Naturally, they do have to learn how to make a valid
Docbook XML document.
Anyway, I think that providing Karen and her
colleagues can overcome the learning curve, Docbook
will do what Karen needs and more.
Never the less, moving in the XML direction is a step
in the right direction.
Sean Wheller
--- Michael McCallister
<Michae -dot- McCallister -at- msbinfo -dot- com> wrote:
> Well, DocBook isn't really a tool, just a DTD.
> However, it should do the
> trick as far as what she wants to do, and there are
> tools available to
> produce valid DocBook files (I'm thinking
> specifically of OpenOffice--Bruce
> Byfield, is that right?). Will Frame 7?
>
> Mike McCallister
>
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/
RoboHelp for FrameMaker is a NEW online publishing tool for FrameMaker that
lets you easily single-source content to online Help, intranet, and Web.
The interface is designed for FrameMaker users, so there is little or no
learning curve and no macro language required! Call 800-718-4407 for
competitive pricing or download a trial at: http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l4
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
