Single Sourcing with Frame and WWP

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Single Sourcingwith Frame and WWP

• Laurie Chisholm
• NZTWA 7 Feb 2002

2
Overview

• Single sourcing
• Frame/WWP if...
• Using WWP
• Our solution

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Single Sourcing is...

• Write once, use many times
• Revise once, update everywhere
• Translate only once
• Publish using many channels

4
Single Sourcing Pros

• Eliminate redundant/repetitive info
• Improve consistency
• Reduce errors from Updates
• Improve productivity
• Frees writers to focus on content
• Reduce reviewing effort
• (Single Sourcing White Paper)

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Single Sourcing Cons

• Adds complexity
• Works only if most content is common
• Print and Online are different you cant
  optimise for both
• Extra setup effort
• Must follow template design
• Garbage in garbage out

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Frame/WWP if...

• Already working in Frame
• Putting existing documents online or on Web
• Emphasis is on printed output
• Documents complex
• A high quality, flexible tool set.

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Frame/WWP Features

• Template-based
• Big setup effort and learning curve
• Flexible, but painstaking to configure
• Print-centred
• Some Help features are fiddly to implement
• Expensive

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Using WWP

• Select and customise a WWP template
• Map styles
• Create WWP project for Frame book
• Generate output
• HTML files
• Project files
• Use HTML Workshop to compile .chm file

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Work in Frame
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Select Template/Create Project
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Map Styles
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Generate Output
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Compile CHM file
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Adding Context Sensitivity

• Insert a TopicAlias marker in each topic
• In the Frame book, generate list of markers then
  sort it
• Provide list to programmers
• Ensure that the HTML Help workshops project file
  (manual.hhp) uses the correct mappings file
  (manual.h) and alias file (taliases.h)

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Our Solution

• Establish requirements Help and PDF
• Choose Frame/WWP
• Decide on Help format (HTML Help)
• Dont have Whats this Help
• Develop Help design, then work backwards
• Modify Frame template, develop new WWP template.
  Reusable

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Help Design

• Context-sensitive at Dialog level
• Two levels of step numbering
• Different topic types conceptual, entry,
  procedural, overview, and reference
• Glossary and Index
• Expanding and collapsing text? NO

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Help Design Features

• Cross-references (quick and easy)
• Hypertext links only when necessary
  time-consuming to create
• Pop-up links to glossary definitions
• Link to Tait web site
• See also topic lists (mini-TOC) for Help only

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Print Design and Features

• Screen snaps
• Preface corresponding to About Help topic
• Icons for Notes, Tips, Important
• More diagrams, more detailed diagrams

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Conclusion

• Better than repurposing
• Setup effort will pay off if we stay with this
  approach for 1-2 yearsUse Frame/WWP if
• Writers already use Frame
• Existing manuals need to go online
• Print more important than Help

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Articles, etc

• The Joy of Single-Sourcinghttp//www.inframe-mag.
  com/files/ssadvise.html
• Making a Business Case for Single Sourcing , Best
  Practices, Vol 3 No 2, April 2001
• Single Sourcing White Paper, July 1999,
  SingleSource Associates
• Beyond the Buzzword Single Sourcing by Sean
  Brierly, in Intercom, Jan 2002.
• WebWorks Publisher Cookbook

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Web Sites

• www.scriptorium.com
• www.wwpusers.com
• wwp-users_at_yahoogroups.com
• www.infomanagementcenter.com
• www.knopf.com
• http//www.stc.org/SIGS/singlesourcing.html

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Web Sites (contd.)

• www.singlesourcing.com