Re: Re: Writing procedures - thanks

Subject: Re: Re: Writing procedures - thanks
From: Pro TechWriter <pro -dot- techwriter -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: Anindita Basu <anindita -dot- basu -at- in -dot- ibm -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:28:07 -0500

Thanks very much for the links and the explanation of why adding a note
following a step without an info tag doesn't work.
Frustration still reigns though. :-) Now on to a little controversy.

Now for a more pointed question: Why in the heck would anyone want to
*disallow* a note in a step? And this is, of course, in a format that
prevents most forms of introduction or conceptual information in a topic.
And I do know that pre-conditions, etc. are allowed. (And trust me, most
users do NOT read the concept topic before they do the procedure. I've asked
my users, and almost none of them read that, or care about it.)

Best practices in technical writing say that notes (and warnings, and
cautions) are important information for users to have *while* they are
executing a procedure, preferably >before< they do the step in question. And
you really can't do put the note first with DITA, so all that's left is to
add the note following the step. And that is set up to be difficult by DITA
standards.

Sometimes I wonder the DITA's focus is mainly for writers, while leaving the
user's needs in the dust.

Don't get me wrong. I really liked structured authoring (and have been using
various methods for 20 years), but I am creating documentation for the
users, and their needs should be right up at the top of the list.

--== I'll put away the soapbox now :-D ==--

PT

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 3:49 AM, Anindita Basu <anindita -dot- basu -at- in -dot- ibm -dot- com>wrote:

> It's because of the DTD that's enforced for DITA. <step> cannot contain
> <note>, but can contain <info>, which, in turn, can contain <note>.
>
> More about the tags here:
> http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.0/langspec/ditaref-type.toc.html
> http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.0/langspec/step.html
> http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.0/langspec/info.html
>
> The complete Language Specifications are here:
> http://www.ditainfocenter.com/eclipsehelp/topic/ditaref-type/topic2.html
>
> Regards,
> Anindita
> User Assistance - Rational Insight
> anindita -dot- basu -at- in -dot- ibm -dot- com
> +91 532 2424103
>
>
>
>
> Pro TechWriter
> <pro -dot- techwriter -at- g
> mail.com> To
> Sent by: Claudine CHAUSSON
> techwr-l-bounces+ <claudine -dot- chausson -at- jwaretechnologie
> anindita.basu=in. s.com>
> ibm -dot- com -at- lists -dot- tec cc
> hwr-l.com Technical Writing
> <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Subject
> 17/08/2009 11:39 Re: Re: Writing procedures - thanks
> PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I believe that is the only way you can add a note in a step. I don't know
> why, either, and wouldn't mind someone sharing the reason?
> PT
>
> On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 8:00 AM, Claudine CHAUSSON <
> claudine -dot- chausson -at- jwaretechnologies -dot- com> wrote:
>
> > That was a very fast answer. Thank you very much Anindita!
> >
> > Is nesting, for that purpose, a common practice in DITA?
> >
> >
> >
> > Claudine CHAUSSON
> > Technical writer
> > JWARE Technologies
> >
> > Please consider the environment before printing this email.
> >
> > -----Message d'origine-----
> > De : Anindita Basu [mailto:anindita -dot- basu -at- in -dot- ibm -dot- com]
> > Envoyé : lundi 17 août 2009 14:50
> > À : Claudine CHAUSSON
> > Cc : techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com;
> > techwr-l-bounces+anindita -dot- basu=in -dot- ibm -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > Objet : [!! SPAM] Re: Writing procedures - thanks
> >
> > To insert a <note> in a <step> in DITA, nest the <note> tag inside an
> > <info> tag, like this:
> >
> > <step>
> > <cmd></cmd>
> > <info>
> > <note></note>
> > </info>
> > </step>
> >
> > Regards,
> > Anindita
> > User Assistance - Rational Insight
> > anindita -dot- basu -at- in -dot- ibm -dot- com
> > +91 532 2424103
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > "Claudine
> > CHAUSSON"
> > <claudine.chausso To
> > n -at- jwaretechnologi <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> > es.com>
> cc
> > Sent by:
> > techwr-l-bounces+ Subject
> > anindita.basu=in. Writing procedures - thanks
> > ibm -dot- com -at- lists -dot- tec
> > hwr-l.com
> >
> >
> > 17/08/2009 06:12
> > PM
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Hi and thank you for your help. That was much appreciated and very
> helpful.
> >
> > Unfortunately, I don't have time for planning so I go head first and see
> > what happens. In a few months I will probably see, and maybe do, things
> > differently but as for now, I don't really have the time to consider it
> > more
> > than I've already done.
> >
> > I'm following your advice of repeating notes and warnings (nothing life
> > threatening though) when appropriate, except that with DITA you cannot
> > insert notes in a step ... Must figure this out.
> > If someone here is a DITA expert, some advice will be appreciated.
> > Advice on best practices for reuse (especially conref) is welcome too.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Claudine
> >
> >
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >
> > Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
> > Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help
> > 2009 tips, tricks, and best practices.
> > http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/
> >
> > Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
> > authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
> > once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control!
> > http://www.helpandmanual.com/
> >
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> >
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >
> > Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
> > Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help
> > 2009 tips, tricks, and best practices.
> > http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/
> >
> > Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
> > authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
> > once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control!
> > http://www.helpandmanual.com/
> >
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>
> --
> “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love....Pursue the
> things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can't take
> their
> eyes off you.”
>
> - Dr. Maya Angelou
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
> Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help
> 2009 tips, tricks, and best practices.
> http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/
>
> Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
> authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
> once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control!
> http://www.helpandmanual.com/
>
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>


--
“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love....Pursue the
things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can't take their
eyes off you.”

- Dr. Maya Angelou
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help
2009 tips, tricks, and best practices.
http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/

Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/

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Follow-Ups:

References:
Re: Re: Writing procedures - thanks: From: Pro TechWriter
Re: Re: Writing procedures - thanks: From: Anindita Basu

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