Administrator Note: Reprinted after repeated requests. It was accidentally not carried forward into the current site design. After some digging, it's back! Enjoy!

by Michele Marques

As a technical writer, you may be exploring single-sourcing--producing multiple document outputs from a single information source--as a possible option for easing document development and production. Although solutions such as databases, SGML, and XML are available that can enable you to reuse information to produce multiple outputs, single-sourcing doesn't have to involve such complex solutions, expenses, and learning curves. Instead, if your single-sourcing needs are relatively simple, you can effectively single-source using a tool that technical writers commonly have available: FrameMaker.

This article examines how single-sourcing can ease your publication process. First, we'll look at how to single-source multiple models of the same product line. Then we'll examine how you can single-source to create different versions of the manual for different audiences. Finally, we'll explore time considerations for single-sourcing using FrameMaker. Although this article focuses on techniques to produce multiple printed manuals, you may find these techniques useful when you are producing outputs in multiple media (for example, printed manual and online help file)."

For a few months I've been working with RWD's uPerform single-sourcing tool. It seems to have a lot of quirks. As a TC I understand tools have quirks; however, this is slowing us down substantially. When I ask the contractor representing uPeform, he doesn't give answers. He avoids all technical questions, such as how does the tranform file work, can we modify the xml in the file or in the transform file, etc. It seems very unprofessional to not share this type of information. I've never, in 13 years, had a vendor insist on keeping all of the technical information a secret.

MadCap Flare is the new online and print authoring and publishing tool. Working from a topic-based paradigm, Flare allows you to develop content in XML and publish to multiple outputs, such as online help and PDF. This one hour online preview shows you what Flare is, what it does, and why you need it. Go to

http://www.madcapsoftware.com/training/livedemos.aspx to sign up.

http://www.microtype.com/training.html