what is structured authoring? - novell · structured authoring assumes that each part of a document...

What Is Structured Authoring?

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Every document has a structure—that is, it has a method of organizing its text into recognizable sections.

Headings

Graphics

Bulleted list

Numbered stepsfollowed by paragraphs


A word processor can use manual formatting to create the structure, or it can use styles.

Style list in OpenOffice

However, when you use another application or browser to open a document created through either of these methods, the results can be unpredictable. Sometimes you can't open the document at all, or the formatting and fonts might change.


Instead of using paragraph-based or character-based styles, structured authoring assumes that each part of a document must be identified and marked with a standard set of “tags” or “elements.” These elements identify such things as a paragraph, a section, a table, or an inline element such as a cross-reference. Each element has a specific place in a hierarchy of elements, and the structure can be viewed and manipulated in various ways.


The closely controlled structure allows you to use standard markup languages such as HTML and XML to produce documents that are platform-independent and are highly portable across different applications.

StructuredAuthoring

HTMLor

XML

Browser

PDF

ContentManagement

System

Application


For example, the structure in an HTML document makes it possible to produce output that looks the same in any Web browser.


If you have a document that is used in different applications, structured authoring allows you to customize the output. For example, you can use one master document to produce different fonts, section numbering, and cross-reference formats for a Help topic in an application, for PDF, or for HTML in a Web browser:

Help Topic PDF

Web Browser


You can use a styles-based application to produce different types of output, but the results can be inconsistent if the styles aren't the same throughout the document.

Structured authoring ensures consistency in the original document, so the output is easier to automate and is more reliable.

To assure mutual success for Novell and our partners with the Deal Registration program, Novell has created an online deal registration system

To assure mutual success for Novell and our partners with the Deal Registration program, Novell has created an online deal registration system

The first paragraph on the left uses a Text Body Style in a word processor document.

The second paragraph, from the same document, also uses a Text Body style, but it's in a different font because it was copied from a a another document and pasted into the current document.


Structured authoring tools also make it easier to find and fix problems. For example, the structure view in FrameMaker immediately identifies an invalid structure when you create it, so you can fix the problem on the spot.

You can also identify exactly where each structural element begins and ends, which is not always the case with styles-based authoring.


Elements in structured authoring can also have one or more attributes. The attributes provide metadata that can be used for even more fine-grained control and automation of the output.

ID numbers in the attributesfor a heading make it possibleto automate cross-referencingbetween files and books.

Other attributes make it possible to copy the table to several different places in a document, and have changes in the original automatically replicate to all of the copies.


• The MathML 2.0 DTD is designed to describe mathematical notation and to capture both its structure and content.

• The DocBook DTD is designed for writing technical documents for computer hardware and software.

• The DitaBase DTD is for content that is created as small topic items, rather than long books or chapters.

A structured authoring system uses a DTD (document type definition) to formally list and define all of the data elements that it can use. It's possible to write your own DTD, but most structured authoring systems use a standard DTD and customize it for their own purposes.

For example:


The DTD provides list of elements and the basic rules for using them. It's similar to using styles, but in a more formalized, predictable, and viewable way.


The authoring tool provides access to the DTD by supplying a list of elements for the writer to use.

A figure with a title

An “Important” note

A figure without a title

A bulleted list

A numbered list

A table with a title

A table without a titleA procedure withnumbered steps

A paragraph

A first-level heading


A DTD also facilitates sharing text among writers who are usingincompatible authoring tools.

For example, Novell writers can exchange documents with SUSE writers, who use the Vi text editor. Text is exported from each separate authoring system into XML, then imported into the other authoring system.

StructuredFrameMaker

Using the DocBook DTD

ViText editor

Using the DocBook DTDXML


Master Document - Introductory text about widgets. - Text about Widget A - Text about Widget B

Book for Widget A - Introductory text - Text about Widget A

Book for Widget B - Introductory text - Text about Widget B

Structured authoring also makes it possible to replicate many of the features of content management software. For example, you can send information from a master document to different target documents, so that one source can be combined and recombined in different ways.


Another content management feature that structured authoring provides is the ability to “share” a section of text from one source to many different targets, and automatically update the targets when the source is changed.

Hello World Hello World

Hello World

Hello World

Hello Worlds Hello Worlds

Hello Worlds

Hello Worlds


• Enabling content exchange between incompatible applications• Reducing content duplication• Reusing information• Extracting information based on structure and metadata• Improving formatting consistency• Reducing the learning curve for the writer

In summary, using structured authoring instead of styles-based unstructured authoring provides many advantages for producing documentation:

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what is structured authoring? - novell · structured authoring assumes that each part of a document...

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