html - technical communication · highly customizable and easily maintainable easy to store, easy...
TRANSCRIPT
HTML Another language to add to your Technical Writer resume
Introduction Dana Prodan – Lead Technical Writer
Imprezzio Global – European Operations - CSD
Imprezzio, Inc. – Spokane & Kirkland, WA, USA
OmniPark
Bad Kitty Studios
Racing Snail
2point0
Imprezzio Marketing – Toronto, Canada
Department 2 TWs in Cluj-Napoca TW Dept.
1 TW in Spokane Creative Dept.
Browser-based help systems for software applications
Internal documents (newsletters, translations, proofing)
Accompanying documentation (API docs, release notes)
Press releases, blog posts, website content, letters
Internal manuals, guides, regulations
Technical Writing Resources
Agenda The pun
Documentation through hierarchy
When and why use HTML?
Benefits of using HTML
Highly customizable
Metadata 1 & 2
Images
Collaboration on HTML projects
The pun HTML = HyperText Markup Language
Originated in CERN and is now guided by the W3C
Tags which are interpreted by a web browser
Styled using CSS
Can be produced using the most basic text editor
PM
• Request for work (ticket)
• Provide project documents
TW
• Request access to application, SVN repo
• Discussions with PM for clarifications
PM
• First draft sent for functional review
• Return revised version to TW to make changes
TW
• Perform requested changes
• Request publishing to application
• Perform functional review in-app
PM
• Publish latest changes
• Notify client
Documentation through hierarchy
When & why use HTML? Large projects
Set-up needs to be worthwhile
Collaboration is easier
Browser-based applications HTML exploited best in web environment
Long-term collaboration + support Client would need resources and tools to manage
Online use with small bandwidth Loads quickly and counter-measures can be set up
Needs to be distributed to a large number of people
Easily shared and moved
The rough process
• Adobe RoboHelp
• HTML
Create
• CSS
• Layout
Style • Export
• PDF Review
• Import
Review
• Push to application
• In-browser
Publish
Benefits of using HTML Highly customizable and easily maintainable
Easy to store, easy to load, easy to share
Allows for custom implementations
High quality and scalable
Can be optimized for search
Multiple output possibilities
Can be used with sub-versioning
Highly Customizable
Output = HTML + images
• Technical Writer creates content, screen captures and graphics
A stylesheet holds and controls all styling settings
• TW, PM or client provides or customizes stylesheet
Implementation and access
options
• Developer adds documentation to application and access is set up according to client’s preferences
Metadata - Search
Metadata can be processed: users can’t see it, but it’s there
Metadata – Contextual Pages Again, users can’t see it, but it’s there
Images Account for most of the project’s size, but are also very
important for delivering the message. HTML allows:
Automatic resize
Positioning
View full size image separately and zoom in
Reusability
Individually customizable
Collaboration on HTML projects Resources can work on same content at once
Collaborating designers can edit CSS
Sub-versioning: undo, redo, remove, re-add
Conflict handling
High modularity combined with link hopping
Efficient review process
Q & A
