Semi-OT: Tool for modular doc, multiple import/export

[David Farbey]

Hello Dale,

Try searching for a "component content management system" as I think that's
the closest industry term to what you are looking for. I believe there are a
number of tools that may fit the bill, at least when it comes to importing
and storing text data from various formats.

You use the terms "import" and "export" which to me imply some element of
processing or conversion. Many content management systems use more neutral
terms such as "store" and "retrieve" which don't imply any processing. I'm
sure that if you store an FM file it will still be an FM file when you
retrieve it, but I suspect it may be difficult to find a tool (other than FM
Server, perhaps) that can "export" or generate FM files from other content.

You may find that the ideal tool is far too expensive, or far too difficult
to integrate into your company's existing systems, and so you'll need to
develop your own hybrid solution, with some sort of shared storage with
library features (check-in and check-out control0 and versioning, but with
you own procedures and workflows. (An example of this sort of content
management system is Alfresco, http://www.alfresco.com).

There are limits to what software tools can achieve, however. The most
difficult decision you and your colleagues need to make is defining what you
consider a "component" or "module" to be.

regards,

David Farbey

On 18 March 2010 14:47, Oppenheimer, Dale L <Dale.Oppenheimer at ingenix.com>wrote:

> Hi readers,
>
> I'm posting on behalf of my documentation team.We are a team of eight
> who write a complete array of documentation for a broad range of
> products . Additionally, we use different tools -- primarily. FrameMaker
> or MS Word for paper documentation, and Dreamweaver for online help
> systems - and are all located in different states or India. We are
> searching for a single tool we can use that will cover all (or most) of
> our needs. We are starting with broad criteria -- we'd like a tool that
> stores modular documentation and can handle the import and export of
> PDF, FrameMaker, HTML, and Word files. DITA is not a required criterion.
> If any readers of this list can offer suggestions for tools that can
> support these functions, we'd greatly appreciate it.
>
> I did check the Framer archives and found mention of products like TCS2,
> MIF2GO, and WebWorks ePublisher. I suggested these to my team, and our
> conclusion was that these did not quite have what we wanted for storing
> modular documentation. Any other thoughts?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> -- Dale Oppenheimer
>
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-- 
David Farbey - david at farbey.co.uk
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