Review Process for documents in HTML?

[Combs, Richard]

Beierle, Cecily wrote:
 
> Our company uses FrameMaker to create documentation. Originally, we
> generated
> PDFs of the FM files, which we used for SME reviews and published on
our
> intranet. Now we generate HTML from the FM files, using WebWorks. As
part
> of
> the transition to HTML, we've changed our styles to be more
web-friendly.
> Unfortunately, the files are much more difficult for SMEs to review in
PDF
> format. Our question is what have others done to allow SMEs to
efficiently
> review HTML documentation?

There's no reason that "web-friendly" should mean "PDF-unfriendly." It's
pretty common and not particularly difficult to use the same FM source
files to create both PDFs or printed books and online help. 

What is it about the changes you made to the FM source files that makes
review in PDF much more difficult? 

In general, you should make "web-friendliness" changes in the WebWorks
style designer, not by changing the FM formats. For instance: 

-- There's no reason to change fonts in FM, do it in WebWorks. 

-- If you have xrefs with page numbers in FM, redefine them in WebWorks.


-- Judicious use of a bit of conditional text (e.g., Print and HTML
conditions) will take care of the bits that are specific to one output. 

-- You can also tell WebWorks to exclude certain formats (pgfs, chars,
tables, etc.) entirely from the output. For instance, all my screen
shots are in a FigAnchor pgf. In WebWorks, it's set to no output (I
don't put screen shots in the help). 

HTH!

Richard 


Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
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rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
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