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Subject:?multiple versions of multiple docs From:Miki Magyar <MDM0857 -at- MCDATA -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 8 Oct 1998 13:27:52 -0600
And now for something just slightly different - we're dealing not just with document control (thanks to Cathriona for posting the summary!), but with multiple versions of the "same" set of documents. We provide the widget and basic documentation for it: installation, user guide, service, quick reference, and online help. Within our group, we can control the most recent version, who's working on which document, and track revisions. However, we also provide these documents or a subset or a different version of them to our re-sellers, who put their name on the final product and want the docs to look like theirs.
Our problem, which I suspect is a common one, is how do we make sure that the content of all the docs is consistent and accurate? For example, the Configure menu, which is described in all the docs, has just added another item. I put the change into the Service manual, but the Installation manual is already our for review and doesn't reflect this. Since each document has its own review cycle, changes made to one don't necessarily show up in the review copy of others. The reviewers want to review the content only once, not over and over (a reasonable request). And there's no single way for changes to occur - they can come via markups in review copies, official ECOs, notes or e-mail from engineers, or verified rumor. We need to make sure that all writers include all changes to all docs. So far, it's been a hit-and-miss effort, requiring lots of memos and notes and communication between the writers, and far too much last-minute revision because things got missed.
One logical option would seem to be a content database, with each chunk of data pulled from the master file. Does the software exist for this? Is it actually usable, or more work than it's worth? Is there some way of using the existing "database" of master files in a more effective way? As always, we're constrained by absurd schedules and last-minute changes, so tools with high learning curves or excessive elegance are inappropriate.
I'm sure many of you have wrestled with this problem already, and I await your collective wisdom. Even if the answer is to just keep muddling along!
