Whats Up, EDoc

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Whats Up, EDoc?!
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Who Am I?

• Neil Perlin - Hyper/Word Services.
• In tech. comm. since 79 at DEC.
• Creating hypertext since 85.
• Creating WinHelp since 90.
• Using HTML since 91.
• Training/consulting on HATs since 95.
• XML, single-sourcing, mobile since 98.
• STCs lead representative to the W3C.

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• Today

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WinHelp

• Dead but still fairly common.
• 51 - ref 2002 WinWriters survey.
• Maintenance few new projects.

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HTML Help(s)

• Current mainstream formats are in or based on
  HTML.
• HTML Help
• WebHelp
• Others
• BTW, HTML is now XHTML (XML).

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First Moves To XML for Doc

• Little use of XML for doc, so far.
• Little demand for XML-based doc.
• HTML works just fine, thanks
• RoboHelp/WebWorks/etc. meets our single sourcing
  needs, so why bother?
• Few doc-oriented WYSIWYG authoring tools to drive
  development.
• But formats are shifting and tools are starting
  to appear.

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Increasingly Complex Environment

• Can get in trouble if you fall behind.
• Be wary of terminology traps.
• Windows Help vs. WinHelp.
• WebHelp vs. Web Help.
• HTML Help vs. HTML help.
• MAML vs. MAML

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• Short Term (2006?)

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Single Sourcing

• Dates back to 91 with Doc-To-Help.
• Newly hot as we head for auto-output of content
  subsets in different formats, devices, or
  modalities
• Anybody doing this?
• Required technology depends on your single
  sourcing needs.
• RoboHelp or WebWorks might be enough.

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XML In One Slide

• A meta-language
• Create custom tags or entire languages.
• Define and enforce syntax rules.
• Basically a master format for conversion to other
  formats e.g. single sourcing.
• Content structure and standardization are crucial
  for this.

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XML Authoring Tools For Doc

• Blank slate tools Epic, xMetal
• Framemaker.
• Word tools and add-ons
• SGML tools - i4i x4o and Inera eXtyles.
• ePublisher Pro
• Word 2003 (duh)

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XML Authoring Tools

• Other or emerging tools
• RoboHelp X5 maybe...
• Madcap Flare.
• Probably others.

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XHTML

• Extensible HTML.
• HTML, rewritten to follow XML syntax.
• Essentially, HTML done right.
• Like an infinitely extensible HTML.
• Has replaced HTML, officially.

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And RoboHelp?

• Uncertain
• Will there be an X6?
• If not, will X5 be usable for years or will IE 7
  kill it?
• Replacement options Dreamweaver, ePublisher
  Pro, Flare

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Structured Information Design

• Simply means info must be structured.
• But defining what that means is vital.
• Ranges from using
• Styles in Word to
• Templates to
• Objects in a CMS repository, extracted using
  scripts, and run through XSLTs.
• Will be a nightmare for many groups.

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Knowledge Management

• Organize and package content for different uses
  and users.
• What weve been doing for years.
• Need to sell it more effectively.

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Database Publishing/CMS

• Modularizes content in repositories for
• Storage.
• Access and revision.
• Extraction, conversion, and publishing.
• Proprietary CMSs under pressure from XML-based
  CMSs.
• Seems destined to eliminate us.
• It wont, but be ready for a fight.

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Growth of Industry Standards

• ISO, W3C, OASIS, NISO etc. are now increasingly
  important.
• Past standards work created todays environment.
• Todays work is creating tomorrows.
• The more we know about that work
• The more flexible, competitive, and marketable
  well be.
• Speaking of W3C Watchers

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Growth of Internal Standards

• Need standards for style, structure, and content
  in order to create material in a
  flexibly-outputtable form.
• Need to support todays formats and tomorrows
  as-yet-undefined formats.
• No more Ready, Fire, Aim projects.

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• Long Term (2007?)

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Longhorn Help

• Help system for Longhorn (now Vista).
• Due out in 2006(?).
• XML-based uses MAML (Microsoft Assistance
  Markup Language).
• Question of adoption rate for Longhorn will web
  help beat out Longhorn Help?

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Flash and Flash Lite

• Flash Market-leading animation tool.
• Flash Lite Flash for mobile devices.
• To create apps for devices that lack the
  horsepower to run full Flash apps.
• Macromedia has made a strategic commit-ment to
  mobile devices.

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Scalable Vector Graphics

• XML-based graphics format.
• Animation, selective decompression.
• May compete with Flash.
• Mixed support from vendors.
• Info www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/
• Demos www.adobe.com/enterprise/ svg.html

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Metadata

• Information about information.
• To find, retrieve, process, and manage content.
• Some major standards Dublin Core, XMP, RDF in
  a chaotic environment.
• For now, get in the habit of filling out any
  property sheets in your apps.
• Talk to IT about directions.

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Blogs

• Web-based logs/journals - web logs.
• Updated more often than a typical web site -
  daily or even more often.
• Popular service at www.blogger.com
• For tools, see
• radio.weblogs.com/ 0107846/stories/
  2002/10/03/blogSoftware.html

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Wikis

• Hawaiian for quick?
• Supposedly named for the luggage cart service at
  Honolulu International.
• Dynamic, multi-contributor web sites that take
  advantage of the sum of the contributors
  knowledge.
• See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
• Consider problems of group dynamics and legal
  risks.

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RSS

• RDF (or Rich) Site Summary.
• XML format for syndicating web content.
• Syndicated content is registered with RSS
  publisher that sends it to subscriber sites.
• Conceptually similar to server-push but with more
  of a pull aspect.

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Podcasting

• Similar to, and based on, RSS, but for audio
  content.
• Content designed to be downloaded to and played
  on iPods or similar devices.

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Mobile Devices

• The mobile web failed but people still want
  mobile access to content, a la cell phones and
  WiFi.
• W3C is trying again with Mobile Web Initiative
  (www.w3.org/2005/MWI).
• If your audience includes field service or mobile
  users, think mobile devices.

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Device Independence

• Extends mobile device idea to make content usable
  on any device with no siloing or hand-tailoring.
• Once again, single sourcing.
• W3C activity at www.w3.org/2005/di/
• As with mobile devices, know your audience.

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Visual Help

• Demos or interactive simulations based on screen
  movies rather than text and screen shots.
• Learning by viewing, then doing.
• Created using tools like Captivate and Camtasia.

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And More

• Virtual people as help interfaces.
• Voice interfaces.
• Ubiquitous/pervasive computing or Web Presence.
• Grid computing.
• Etc.

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Some Crucial Questions

• Which technologies will take off?
• Which will you use?
• Who knows
• So what do we do?
• Managers and developers must look at...

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Strategic Issues

• Learn the companys strategic direction.
• Get involved in setting that direction.
• Be able to explain
• Your documentation goals.
• How those goals mesh with the companys.
• e.g. why were doing what were doing
• Then think about tools.

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Management Issues

• Watch technical trends in the industry.
• Focus on structure and standards for
• Cross- and upward-compatibility.
• Repeatable, predictable, cost-effective
  development and maintenance.
• Focus on cross-department effects.
• Take everything with a grain of salt.

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Business Issues

• Watch business trends in the industry.
• Recognize that
• Technology exists in a business context.
• Content (cool) is replacing documentation.
• Cool gets more , attracting consultants.
• Learn to talk CFO-ish and ROI to compete with
  the consultants.

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Content Creation Issues

• Focus on users information needs, not a
  technologys information capability.
• Dont do something because its cool.
• Our job is to create content, not get caught up
  in a tool.
• All cutting-edge tools eventually become
  mainstream.

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Wheres the STC Going?

• The STC isnt the universe.
• Many technical writers have never heard of the
  STC but still have jobs.
• Traditional tasks still have to be done.
• New tasks (metator) and markets (low-tech like
  hospitals) are opening up.
• Your direction and marketing are up to you.

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Thank you... Questions? Hyper/Word
Services 978-657-5464 nperlin_at_concentric.net www.h
yperword.com