DITAinformationcenter™ and DITA Open Toolkit User Guide
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Project: Architected, wrote, and produced
documents titled DITAinformationcenter and
DITA Open Toolkit User Guide.
The latter was a contribution to the OASIS open-source community.
Processed the DITA (XML) files to key target output environments:
XHTML, PDF, Eclipse help, and HTML Help (.chm).
The documentation packages come with two sets of sample (demo-level) DITA files,
"garage" and "grocery shopping," which include annotated Ant scripts to build them to all key output targets.
In conjunction with the documentation project we also wrote a set of Python and PHP scripts
that do debugging, link-checking, reporting, and custom file processing.
The debugging and link-checking scripts help to answer the following kinds of questions:
- Which directories contain files used by a given ditamap?
- Which files in source directories are not used in a ditamap, and therefore could be erased?
- For a given file referenced in a ditamap, what type of file is it, who was its author, how big is it, when was it last changed, and what is it about?
- What are all the linked connections from one file to another used by a given ditamap?
- Which URLs are referenced in the files used in a ditamap?
The reporting tools help to answer the following kinds of questions:
- Who are the authors and copyright holders?
- Which IDs were defined in the source file and were any of them duplicates?
- Which keywords were used in the source file <prolog> elements?
The DITArepair Python script finds and repairs bad references.
Portfolio items:
To download the DITAinformationcenter and additional free DITA resources, see our
resources page.
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Other DITA Projects
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Recent (2006-10) DITA consulting projects include the following:
- For Citrix Systems, Inc., a company creating application delivery software,
provided a customized DITA seminar
to lead information developers located in Florida and the UK
- For FedEx, an international shipping company, created a multi-documentation set DITA prototype that included
many features based on information reuse and automation
- For Kyocera, a global corporation delivering a wide variety of products (including document imaging equipment),
created a customized prototype, delivered a three-day workshop,
and did follow-on coaching for a content migration project
- For PayPal (eBay), an organization providing online payment software and services,
coached a technical documentation team on DITA best practices
- For Pillar Data Systems,
a start-up storage company, did a legacy content conversion using Arbortext/Astoria
- For Savi Technology Inc., a company creating RFID solutions,
delivered a three-day workshop and created a highly customized Eclipse Infocenter
that involved extensive XSLT scripting
- For Skytide Inc.,
a start-up company producing business analytic software,
designed and created DITA-based product documents built around a comprehensive core vocabulary,
and that featured extensive content reuse and tight integration with the Java- and XML-based product software.
- For VMware Inc., a company creating virtualization products,
did an analysis of legacy content targeted for a conversion to DITA
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Localization Handbook: Communicating Effectively in the Global Marketplace
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Project: Co-wrote (with Ellen Livengood)
a book for technical writers about writing material that will be
globalized or localized.
Target audience: Writers and managers
in communications organizations,
and organizations operating in multiple geographies.
Book Contents:
- Important characteristics of the global marketplace,
and the bottom-line benefits that can be
derived from effective multicultural and international communications
- Linguistic and cultural awareness as a basis for effective communications
- Roadmaps for effective multicultural and international communications
- Key business and cultural characteristics of the non-North American marketplace
Content reuse: The book and related material were used in a
professional training program for technical writers at San Jose State University,
and a workshop in the International Business Certificate Program at the University of
California, Santa Cruz.
Current status: The printed book is being updated and
converted to an ebook.
Portfolio items:
Translation chapter
( , opens new window)
Roadmaps chapter
(, opens new window)
Copyright VR Communications, Inc.
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Mercury Interactive (Now HP) Style and Process Guide for Writers
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Role: Information architect and technical writer.
Projects:
Designed and created a documentation home page and
over 15 technical documents
for two product releases. Also wrote a style/process guide for the department.
Location: Mountain View, CA
and Tel Aviv, Israel.
Business: Software company
developing business technology optimization (BTO) software.
Mercury IT Governance Center is built on a three-tier architecture containing an Oracle
database.
Portfolio item:
Style/process guide for writers
(, opens new window)
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Siebel Systems (Now Oracle) Documentation Roadmap
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Title/Role: Principal technical writer,
reporting to senior directory of information development.
Information architect, release manager,
and technical writer.
Projects:
Led documentation planning/release efforts for a major product release (approximately 80 books,
over 20,000 pages) for a multi-site group of 75 writers, editors, and production staff.
Example projects/titles:
- Edited Bookshelf for Siebel eBusiness Applications
(electronic product documentation)
- Wrote Siebel Documentation Roadmap (winner in the Touchstone
2000 competition sponsored by the Society for Technical Communication)
- Wrote the following application development books:
Siebel Tools Guide and
Siebel Object Types Reference
- Wrote the following white papers:
What's New in Siebel 7: A Guide for Administrators
and Developers and
eBiz Implementation of Siebel 7: A Case Study
- Developed and delivered in-house training on Siebel Tools
Location: San Mateo, CA.
Business: Software company developing Siebel eBusiness Applications,
a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) suite of products.
Portfolio item:
Siebel Documentation Roadmap
(, opens new window)
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RSF-EARTHSPEAK Website (www.rsf-earthspeak.org)
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Project: Did a legacy website conversion
to make this site more lively, interactive, and attractive.
Location: Scotts Valley, CA.
Organization: Professional and parent speech training programs
for people with surgically corrected cleft palate.
Portfolio Item:
Current rsf-earthspeak website
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Website Analysis
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Project: This project (completed as part of the
content management certificate program at the University of Washington)
analyzes the website of a nonprofit organization.
Portfolio item:
Website analysis
(, opens new window)
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Presentation: UW Web Technology Solutions, Capstone Project
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Project: This
capstone project
created for the Web Technology Solutions certificate at the University of Washington,
involved designing and creating a marketing website, JavaScript and PHP programming, and
MySQL database design and implementation.
The portfolio item below describes the project in detail.
Portfolio item:
Web Technology Solutions Project Description (, opens new window)
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Research Paper: Business Impact by Women
in Science and Technology
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Role/Project: For Women in Technology International (WITI),
managed public relations and wrote
marketing material. Wrote a
major research paper
titled Business Impact by Women in Science and Technology.
The paper was featured in Computer and Engineering Horizons.
Paper contents included:
- In-person or telephone interviews with six women executives in the high-technology field
- Email interviews with 75 other professional women employed in high-technology companies
- Summary of a focus-group discussion with women managers at Autodesk
- Survey by Ziff Davis Media on attitudes of women and men executives on what it takes to be
a successful senior manager
Location: International organization,
with headquarters in the U.S.
Organization: Professional organization for women in science and
technology.
Portfolio item:
Business Impact by Women in Science and Technology
(complete research paper)
(,
opens new window)
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Community Handbook for the Town of El Dorado Hills
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Project: Created a community resource package
(book and companion website) titled The El Dorado Hills Handbook,
the definitive source of information about the Sierra foothills
community of El Dorado Hills, CA.
Book contents: Fast facts and frequently asked questions,
community resources, social history, natural history and environment, local and regional
issues, and cultural resources. Over 300 pages, 100 photos and drawings, fully indexed.
Testimonials:
- "I was overwhelmed at the book's thoroughness and readability.
And the cover is great!"
- "I found the book absolutely fascinating,
and got through most of it on one of my rare nights off
several weeks ago."
Portfolio items:
EDH Handbook and book cover (100mb: very large file!)
(zipped PDF files, right-click to download)
Related Project (with some content reuse):
Board member responsible for press activities for
Community Vision, a nonprofit public benefit corporation that provides
leadership in identifying and meeting the needs of the community of El Dorado Hills.
Designed and directed implementation of a master community calendar
that featured photos taken by local residents.
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