Several weeks ago, I asked if others were using InfoAccess' HTML Transit.
Here's my experiences with the product.
Transit is a doc-to-html converter. It converts Word, Frame (and quite a
few more: PowerPoint, WordPerfect, AmiPro, InterLeaf, RTF, Write, etc.)
into HTML.
This isn't a simple "oh, yeah, well, Word/Frame can save as HTML" thing.
Word 97 does indeed save as HTML and the result looks good on screen but
the HTML is garbage. Those "Save as HTML..." options only convert the
document into a simple HTML file.
Transit goes far beyond that. I used it to convert a 300-page document (a
programming language manual) into HTML.
+ It broke up the book into sections at the chapter headings (heading 1
level)
+ Saved the images (gif and jpg) out as separate files and linked them
into the HTML
+ Added navigation buttons (top of page, next chapter, go back to
last chapter, go to index, go to table of contents, etc.)
+ I marked up the Word file with indexing and Transit generated a separate
index page, with links to the body
+ Transit generated a Table of Contents page, plus Table of Figures (for
illustrations).
+ It also lets one use one of some 20+ layout templates, or one can create
one's own layout.
+ It lets one wrap one's own HTML before and after certain elements, such
as special layout for tables.
+ It lets one add one's own CSS style sheet info into the files.
+ I created a frames to hold the whole thing and my frame's directory bar
points at the various manual chapters, so it appears nicely within frames.
+ Transit "publishes" (sends to) the html to the web site.
+ Transit allows nearly endless possibilities for modifying/adjusting tags
so that one creates one's unique layout.
The result includes a template file that holds one's specific styles for
the doc. To maintain the document, a low-level admin only has to make
changes, updates, etc. to the original Word document and then click a
single button to update the manual at the web site. This means that my
client doesn't have to hire (expensive) web people to update/modify their
manual at their web site. At $500 for the program, it saves them a great
deal of money.
Of course, for webslingers, it's not in our interest: clients can maintain
their sites much cheaper. But now I'm their Transit expert, so there'll be
ongoing work in creating new templates, etc., for future manuals.
This product would be brilliant for a company with a very large document
set (over 1,000 pages) that has to be constantly updated and maintained.
It's rather easy to use and quick to figure out for expert websters.
I talked to tech support twice, both times about advanced HTML questions,
and they were comfortably knowledgeable.
I'm writing a short guide for my client's admin assistant, so that she'll
be able to update documents from now on. She knows nothing about HTML but
with Transit, she'll be able to maintain the manual.
Transit can do quite a bit more. Read about it at their web site and fetch
a free, 10-day trial version at www.infoaccess.com. Techsupport is free
during the trial period. The program is $495 from www.infoaccess.com
yrs,
andreas
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Andreas Ramos [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.andreas.com
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