Re: Multi-language/translation

Melanie and Mike wrote:

>That's what most folks are looking for..
>
> > We are looking to implement a CMS that needs to be able to manage
> > translations as well as large amounts of reuse - customised content
> > for some docs and overlap between documents. Our problem is we are not
> > just producing a website, we produce paper docs, PDF, online help
> > *and* web pages.
>
>Ok..  Sounds like a challenge for sure..  Wanting the same or similar
>content to be produced for print, pdf, for an interactive help section
>and for the web..
>
>There's a pdf tool in BE so that any page can be viewed as a formatted
>pdf document.  But more customization would need to be set up to have
>this set up so you can print it all out or bundle it into a single pdf
>file.

The challenge in providing content in multiple formats (e.g., paper, web, 
online help) is really not all that difficult. What you need is a set of 
good stylesheets that take the content and "transform" it to the desired 
media. This is often not part of the content management system, it is often 
part of the "delivery" tool that is integrated with the content management 
system. We have found that most content management systems do not support 
the output of content very well unless they are constrained to a single 
output (e.g., web).

The challenge is in appropriately designing the content for reuse in 
multiple information products (e.g., help, paper-based manual, wireless 
device). This is where information architecture comes in. Please see my 
other email response to the question concerning the relationship between 
content management and information architecture.


> > Needless to say we are finding it hard to find products out there that
> > address this scenario (although I think there are many software
> > development companies that would be in the same boat).

We need to look at more than just content management tools to effectively 
support our needs. A good content management "solution" consists of 
effective authoring tools that enable us to create modular 
(object-oriented) content, a content management system that allows us to 
manage and control our content be it unilingual or multilingual (and 
integrate with a good memory translation tool), and a delivery tool that 
allows us to output our content into multiple formats (e.g., web, 
pdf/paper, wireless). I haven't found a single content management system 
that effectively handles the whole process.


>Probably...
>
> > XML is pretty much a given, but we're still not sure what DTD/Schema
> > to go with as a starting point (as we don't have a lot of experience
> > in this, I think we're better off starting with something "standard"
> > then customising as needed). DocBook seems to be the most mature (the
> > fact that there are some "standard" transforms is most appealing) but
> > I'm not sure if it will be the best fit.
>
>Is there an industry forum where you could ask others in the field how
>they produce their documentation?

XML is becoming the standard these days. DocBook is the most mature 
standard though it may not meet everyone's needs. It was specifically 
designed for the software industry and contains a large number of tags 
(~300). Many organizations start with DocBook and simplify or customize. 
Others create their own DTDs/Schemas. Note that the most complex part of 
the DTD/Schema is not creating the DTD/Schema (e.g., coding), but rather 
designing the content models that the DTD/Schema are based on.

The Society for Technical Communication has a list serve devoted to single 
sourcing (the concept of writing content once and using it many times in 
multiple media). You might consider joining that forum for a discussion on 
how people produce their documentation. www.stc.org.

_____________________________

The Rockley Bulletin addresses issues of importance to those interested in 
content management, content reuse, new tools and technologies, resources, 
strategies, best practices and more. http://www.rockley.com/Bulletin.htm

"Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy" (ISBN 0735713065)
by Ann Rockley with Pamela Kostur and Steve Manning is now available from 
amazon.com or amazon.ca. For more information visit 
www.managingenterprisecontent.com.

www.rockley.com, 905-415-1885


--
http://cms-list.org/
please trim your posts.