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RE: XML-based Help Authoring tools for customized help
Subject:RE: XML-based Help Authoring tools for customized help From:"Bill Lawrence" <scribe -at- matrixplus -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 17 Dec 2003 12:47:33 -0500
> Does anyone have practical coal-face experience of using DocBook to:
> 1) produce reference style pages for, say, APIs
yes
> 2) produce longer, more "document" oriented "how-to" guides
yes
> 3) produce white papers
yes
> 4) produce robohelp style help for end-user apps and demos
yes
> 5) produce robohelp style help for user-interface widgets
yes
> 6) embed reference documentation in source code
yes
> 7) encode FAQ data
yes
> 8) encode all the marketing collateral etc. for the web site
haven't done that
> 9) make sending data to translation houses easy
yes
> 10) make provision of customised docs for particular customers easy
yes
> 11) enable customers to take docs and customise them themselves
yes, if the customer can work in XML. I've done it successfully.
At my previous job, we had over 10,000 pages of documentation stored in
Docbook XML. On a daily basis, we converted this source material to
PDF, HTML Help, and JavaHelp. The source material consisted of
programmer's guides, user's guides, getting started guides, and
reference guides. We also produced conference proceedings, white
papers, web sites, etc., all from Docbook.
Currently, I have a much smaller set of single-source docs in Docbook,
from which I generate online help (HTML Help), reference guides, and
training materials.
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
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