What solutions have FAQ maintainers found for the problems with
maintaining both a flat ascii text version of a FAQ (suitable for posting
and archival) and an HTML version (suitable for residence on an HTTP server)?
My current way of maintaining my FAQ is using Microsoft Word for Windows,
my word processor of choice, and when a new release is ready, using "Save
as text with layout." For non-Word users, "Save as text with layout" is
nice because it preserves things like indented blocks of quoted text, and
other layout features, but it's otherwise the same as a straight "Save as
Text," or "Export as ASCII."
My tentative plan is to take this and HTML it, either manually or with
the aid of a HTML program.
Great, now I've got an HTML version. How do I make sure that future
updates to the flat version make it into the HTML version? Right now, the
only thing that suggests itself to me is to redline each new MSWord
version against the previous version, note the changes, and add them to
the HTML version. I am assuming that the HTML aids are not magic enough
that I can just run the text through them and produce the HTML I want --
I'll probably have significant post-HTMLization tweaking. (Otherwise, just
maintaining the Word version and HTMLizing the result every time I produce
an update would be good enough.)
I'm aware that there are some HTML aids specifically for Word, but it
seems to me that they are not addressed to the problem of multiple
versioning.
I'm almost wishing for something like Waterloo Script from my mainframe
days, where I could use embedded codes to selectively include text
depending on a version being prepared (HTML or flat).
My Internet platform is Solaris unix, and I'm not adverse to using some
tool other than Microsoft Word if it addresses my problems (although I
hate to lose the conveniences of MSWord).
So to those of us who maintain both flat ascii and HTML versions of your
FAQs: what is your approach?
My FAQ is in 6 parts, and is about 45 pages if printed out, if that makes
any difference.
-- Terry Carroll | "Clearly, this invention provides the world's Santa Clara, CA | first weapons simulator for use by motorists." carrollt@netcom.com | - U.S. Patent No. 5,314,371 (May 24, 1994)
[
Usenet Hypertext FAQ Archive |
Search Mail Archive |
Authors |
Usenet
]
[
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997
]
© Copyright The Landfield Group, 1997
All rights reserved