RE: [dita-adoption-help] Criteria for determining which tools to include

I disagree.

Where there are issues of cross-platform application, a reluctance to use active aspects of XHTML, and a lack of native support for items like MathML is some browsers, PDF may seem a suitable solution.

Adobe reader allows hooks to page or ID and that can be used to replicate CSH calls; links can be created between PDFs for interlinked documentation sets; and ultimately PDF provides a more consistent cross-platform look and feel than trying to grapple with a multitude of browsers and their CSS implementations.

Yes PDF is a format for printing a document, but the functionality that has been shoe-horned into it has moved it away from simply that into an alternative to CHM, JavaHelp, et al; and it is used in that manner.

If PDF is to be ignored, I think you need a stronger grounding than simply by fiat -- you are ignoring the potential that exists and also the users who find this a solution.

Ian

  
  From: Bruce Nevin (bnevin) 
  <bnevin@cisco.com>
To: 
  Scott Prentice <sp10@leximation.com>; 
  dita-adoption-help@lists.oasis-open.org
Sent: Mon, 27 September, 2010 
  22:15:24
Subject: RE: 
  [dita-adoption-help] Criteria for determining which tools to include in the 
  DHTG...

One key characteristic is that you access Help when you 
  have a problem,
and you locate one or more topics that are relevant to the 
  problem. Help
delivery, then, is mostly about relevance. Another is that 
  Help delivery
is carried out by an application. It is possible to search 
  out a CHM and
launch it as one would launch a PDF book, but then there's a 
  strong
argument that you are using it as a standalone publication and not 
  as
online help.

If we can assume that users expect context sensitive 
  help integrated
with the application, then PDF becomes harder and harder to 
  justify.

We could just list typical Help formats and rule out PDF by 
  fiat.

    /B

> -----Original 
  Message-----
> From: Scott Prentice [mailto:sp10@leximation.com] 
> Sent: 
  Monday, September 27, 2010 3:32 PM
> To: dita-adoption-help@lists.oasis-open.org
> 
  Subject: [dita-adoption-help] Criteria for determining which 
> tools to 
  include in the DHTG...
> 
> Hi...
> 
> This action 
  item of mine is a bit overdue. Here's what I'm 
> thinking should be the 
  criteria ..
> 
> - A tool can be included in the DHTG if that tool 
  can consume 
> or create DITA, and can export out-of-the-box, through 
  the 
> tool's UI, at least one "Help" format.
> 
> Even if 
  that tool is just using the OT to generate this Help 
> format, as long 
  as it installs the OT to do that, it can be 
> in the DHTG. This 
  probably opens the door to many DITA 
> authoring tools, but excludes 
  tools that do not themselves 
> consume DITA in some way. It would not 
  include a tool that 
> just converts from one format to another, since 
  this would 
> have nothing to do with DITA.
> 
> Then there 
  is the issue of defining what constitutes a "Help" 
> format. I think 
  that for the purposes of the DHTG, a Help 
> format is one that's 
  described in the "Help Delivery 
> Technologies" section of the DHTG. 
  How we decide what to put 
> in that section .. well, I suppose that's 
  up for discussion. 
> There are two formats that I can see might be 
  considered "on 
> the fence" of being a Help format or not .. PDF and 
  ePub. 
> There are people who use PDF as the "online Help system," and 
  
> therefore this would be considered a Help format (I'd think) 
> 
  .. even though I personally think this is a bad use of PDF. 
> But what 
  about ePub? What exactly does make something a Help format?
> 
> 
  Something for further discussion, I'd think.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
  
> ...scott
> 
> 
> 
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
  To unsubscribe from this mail list, you must leave the OASIS 
> TC that 
  generates this mail.  Follow this link to all your 
> TCs in OASIS 
  at:
> https://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/portal/my_workgr
> 
  oups.php 
> 
> 
  

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To 
  unsubscribe from this mail list, you must leave the OASIS TC that
generates 
  this mail.  Follow this link to all your TCs in OASIS at:
https://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/portal/my_workgroups.php

dita-adoption-help message