Marc,
In your comments about the PDFs, you identify some of the key challenges
technical writers face in a modern electronic documentation environment.
Specifically, users require documentation that: includes search
capabilities, is easy-to-read, groups similar information, includes
navigation tools, and can be updated quickly and easily.
To meet these requirements, we developed a hybrid help system consisting of
three parts: GX (dialog box) help, searchable (online) help, and PDF online
manuals. This design is intended to deliver as much value as we can and
while keeping documentation current.
GX help and the online help topics are displayed using Winhelp. This
technology allows single help topics to be viewed easily online. This help
is most useful for solving specific problems (troubleshooting or
context-sensitive help).
Tutorials, manuals and technical notes are longer documents, and were
designed to be distributed electronically and then printed on a printer on
an as-needed basis. Only small sections should be read onscreen using the
zoom tool. The fonts and layout of these documents were chosen for optimal
printing rather than for optimal viewing on-screen. We chose the PDF format
for these because it allows us to keep information together, includes online
search capabilities, and updates can be distributed quickly and easily.
Some of the changes you will find in OASIS montaj version 4.3 to address
your specific concerns about PDF documentation include:
� New PDF documentation for all products including GX developer
� PDF documents include linked table of contents (bookmarks)
and thumbnail images for navigation
� New version of the Acrobat Reader (4.0), enables you to mark up PDFs
using underlines, notes, and a pencil tool
� Links from online help topics to related manuals and technical notes
Cheers,
Chris
___________________________________________
Chris Musselman
Technical Writer
Geosoft Inc.
85 Richmond St. W.
Toronto, Ont
Canada
(416) 369-0111 x332
http://www.geosoft.com
Greg,
My 2 cents...
As you may have guessed from my pissy message on Friday, I think the new
features in the GX Developer are never documented well enough. Actually
they aren't documented at all.
On a more general note, recent versions have been much better documented
than previously, but I think PDF documentation is a real pain in the ass.
It would be much better incorporated into the help files or printed. At the
very least you could put links in to help navigate. The Table of Contents
doesn't even link to the chapters! And the fact that the whole thing is
formatted for 8.5 x 11 inches rather than a computer screen just shows that
it isn't intended to be used as electronic documentation, but as a (poor)
substitute for printed materials. PDF's can be done really well and
powerfully, if there are lots of links and appropriate formatting for
viewing on a computer, but they rarely are.
Cheers,
Marc
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Data Donkey - Geophysical Data Processing, Consulting and Software
Development
Creator of the POWER TOOLBOX utilities for OASIS montaj
contact: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] tel (306) 931-6853 or
http://www.datadonkey.com
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