Re: Software question - converting HTML to PDF

[Peter Lewicke <plewicke -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

I think that the easiest solution for you would be use
Open Office Writer, which has a built-in export to
PDF. It will open HTML files or save word processing
files as HTML or PDF. I would also suggest that you
break the 500 page Word file into smaller pieces. If
you want it all together, pasting the pieces into a
master files by pasting links, rather than the text
would be easier. 

Other solutions would require you to use several
pieces of software but would work. For example, you
move the pieces of the document into Framemaker, or
similar programs for conversion to PDF. 

Too bad you're in Cal., or I would try to get you to
hire me to set up the files.



--- Uwe Tallmeister <uwe -at- raintreeinc -dot- com> wrote:

> Hi,
> I'm new to this list, but I've tried searching the
> web and the list 
> archives without any success. If anybody could
> recommend some software, 
> I would be very grateful.
> 
> Current setup:
> Help for our software is in html format, created
> with in-house tools and 
> displayed through an internal viewer. Files contain
> many screenshots and 
> would not pass HTML validation. There is also a bit
> of inline formatting 
> that should be preserved. Index is built on keywords
> specified in each 
> file. A table of contents is also generated. In
> addition to online help 
> (i.e., help files linked to menus, fields etc.)
> there is also a manual 
> that consists mostly of various skill guides. There
> are several versions 
> of the software, but most help is identical for all
> versions. Help 
> update packages are created each week or even more
> often.
> 
> Problem:
> We also have a PDF manual for the customers to print
> out. Currently it 
> is created by editing a huge (about 500 pages) Word
> document and then 
> converted to PDF with a free converter. The problems
> with that process are:
> a) for each edit, about 15 minutes is spent on
> opening the Word file and 
> another 15 on converting it to PDF. Editing the
> document on a slow PC is 
> frustrating enough...
> b) since updating the offline manual takes a long
> time, most help edits 
> will not make it there - to spend half an hour to
> change five lines of 
> text in the manual is not very efficient, is it? On
> the other hand, 
> updating the manual based on edits made during one
> day is not an option 
> as well - getting the list of modified files and
> then finding the 
> modifications is possible, but time-consuming.
> 
> What we are looking for:
> An utility that would take the bunch of html files,
> create a PDF 
> document based on them and add a table of contents
> with page numbers (I 
> do not mean the PDF bookmarks feature) to the
> beginning of the document 
> (preferably also to the beginning of each chapter,
> but that would be 
> icing on the cake). A keyword index would also be
> welcome. Since there 
> will be constant updates, it would also have to be
> able to save the 
> project or configuration. I am aware that we would
> spend a while setting 
> it up (since the files are not in the right order,
> the table of contents 
> probably has to be created manually; also, the
> formatting would require 
> some work), but the goal is to optimize time spent
> on individual 
> updates. Compiling the individual html files into
> HTML Help (or some 
> other format) as an intermediate step would also be
> acceptable.
> 
> Other information:
> There is no price limit set - the management is
> quite supportive and 
> open to new ideas (yes, it *is* a nice job), so
> anything worth its price 
> would probably be purchased. There are currently
> three technical writers 
> (including myself) and a couple more will be hired
> soon, but it is also 
> acceptable to design one person as the "keeper" of
> the document and 
> purchase only one license.
> 
> Sorry for the long rant, but in my experience,
> additional information 
> has never done any harm.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> -- 
> Uwe Tallmeister
> +372 731 4418
> Technical Writer
> www.raintreeinc.com
> 
>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support
> for every major Help 
> format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise,
> and efficient content 
> delivery. Try it today!
> http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
> 
> Easily create HTML or Microsoft Word content and
> convert to any popular Help file format or printed
> documentation. Learn more at
> http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
> 
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as
> plewicke -at- yahoo -dot- com -dot- 
> 
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
> techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> or visit
>
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/plewicke%40yahoo.com
> 
> 
> To subscribe, send a blank email to
> techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> 
> Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 
> Visit
> http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more
> resources and info.
> 
> 


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help 
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content 
delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Easily create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to any popular Help file format or printed documentation. Learn more at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.