Conference 7.286::digital

4262.0. "Just in Time Documentation" by PMRV70::CROSBY () Thu Nov 09 1995 11:04

    Moderator (s),
 
    I was rejected from the Winword conference...they thought the broader
    audience in HD would be a better source for this topic.
    
    If you know of a more appropriate place to put it, please feel free to
    move it.
 
    I am specifying a project that can best be described as "just in time
    documentation".  The document architecture will be as follows.
 
    1.  A series of MS Access tables will be designed built that hold
        hundreds or thousands of variable data elements on a variety of
        production systems.
 
    2.  A series of document templates (MSWord6.0) will be built
        incorporating OLE and DDE links to the Access table data where
        appropriate.  For example: "The Digital Ramjet Peanut Butter
        Spreader support system is hosted on the <variable1> cluster,
        which runs the <variable2> operating system."  The template for the
        Digital nuclear widget would use variables three and four, and so
        forth.
 
    3.  The documents would then be loaded onto a Web server, where they
        could be accessed from anywhere inside the company through a
        PC/Workstation browser or from a terminal using lynx.
 
    The advantages of this approach are several:
 
        1. A consistent document template will be used across many
           applications,
 
        2. Document maintenance becomes table/database maintenance.
           Whenever a variable changes, that change is entered into the
           appropriate table, and the DDE/OLE updates the page the next time it
           is viewed.
 
        3. By hosting on the Web, a consistent viewing mechanism and markup
           language will be employed.  In addition, related documents can be
           hyperlinked.
 
    The proposed audience for this documentation will be operations
    personnel who need to troubleshoot problems.  In that sense, this can
    be viewed as a quasi help desk, or employee support system.
 
    My questions are simple:
 
    1. Are we crazy to attempt such an ambitious project?
    2. Does anyone have any good metrics that we can use to estimate the
    time and resources needed to implement this architecture?
    3. Is there a similar system up and running or in development, and with
    whom can I speak about it?
 
    Thanks in advance for your guidance.
 
    Gary Crosby
 
    

    
    You may also want to try the TNPUBS::I-EXCHANGE conference, the home of
    (what's left of) our documentation organization.
    
    Press keypad key 7 to add to your notebook...
    

    Thanks for the tip.  I will add it there, but would like to leave it
    here also to see if I can generate some feedback.
    
    I have received some e-mail with interest, but no pointers or sources,
    as yet.
    
    
    BTW, if we make this thing work, Greyhawk can probably sell it.
    
    gc