Agile cudo

Agile Documentation: A Pattern Guide to Producing Lightweight Documents for Software Projects.

Bats and files

Recording here for future reference how to write a batch file to rename a bunch of XML files in Windows. Instructions by my husband, delivered in chat from his holiday, so big kudos to my lovely Heikki :)

1. Export the file list to a csv file: dir /b *.xml > list.csv.
2. Open list.csv in Excel.
3. Copy the contents of column A to column B.
4. Find and replace in column B as necessary (for me, replace - with _).
5. Insert a column before A.
6. Fill all cells of the new column A with the word ren.
7. Select all and paste to Notepad. Each line should now read ren oldfilename newfilename. There is whitespace in between, this is normal.
   
8. Save Notepad file as rename.bat. You now have a batch file.
   
9. Run the batch file: enter rename.bat on the command line.
   

And voilà! Your files are renamed.

(Yes, this is a big deal for me. Yeah, I'm not too knowledgeable about computery stuff. But I'm learning :)

Word to DITA

Simon Bate has a good tech tip for converting tables from Word to DITA. In sum: copy the table from Word to Excel, use columns to add tags, and copy back to a text editor.

Actually, Scriptorium's entire Tech Tips category is well worth reading :)

Windows command line

I'm just learning to use the command line in Windows, and just renamed a bunch of files in 5 minutes with the REN command rather than do it one by one in the GUI which would have taken at least half an hour and a lot of clickety click. Here is a list of command line commands in Windows XP.

English language resources

A good summary of English language resources on the 'nets: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/11/click_here/.

Tech writing in Agile

Writing end user documentation in an agile development environment looks like a useful read.

Best practices for technical writing

Tech writers as sales reps? Interface Software's award-winning docs boost brand, revenues, and customer satisfaction by Gordon Graham of SoftwareCEO. The first best practice is a bit surprising, although it shouldn't be: Create a healthy workplace.

Documents for reference

Diplodocs offers free downloads of apparently hundreds of end user manuals.

Mobile megatrends

http://www.slideshare.net/andreasc/mobile-megatrends-2010-vision-mobile-research

Plain English

Avoiding stuffy language: http://www.mens-health-tips.com/terms-and-conditions.html

Top 10 FrameMaker mistakes

The most frequent mistakes made by users of structured FrameMaker, Part I and Part II. Written from the viewpoint of translation work, but also good for highlighting "worst-practices".

Help authoring tools survey

Indoition has posted a useful survey of online help authoring tools.

Windows secrets

A recommended resource for information on Windows, MS Office and various other topics: Windows Secrets.

Pictures of keyboard keys

As clipart: http://www.techonthenet.com/clipart/keyboard/.
As fonts: http://www.fontspace.com/category/keyboard

Text tools

MyTextTools is a nifty-looking online resource for processing text. I wouldn't use it for confidential text, just in case, but it's probably easier than coming up with the right search-and-replace process for Word every time.

Distraction-free writing environment

Dark Room. Nice retro look, distraction-free UI, mainly for creative writing. (Note the funny URL.)

Joomla Open SourceCMS for web content

Looks good. Got me a website or two that could use a facelift :)

Using personas when writing white papers

Savvy has a good piece by Stephanie Tilton: How Buyer Personas Shape White Papers.

Sports bra instructions

How to put on a sports bra. (In an odd coincidence, my discovery of this link was very timely.)

Moodle: online courseware

This time not for learning, but for teaching - Moodle is an open-source platform for online courses.

The little-known contribution of trumpeter swans

In They don't make computer manuals like they used to, Ironic Sans introduces Franklin Ace 1000 user manuals.

Daily scrum article

Not related to technical communication, but related to working in the field: It's Not Just Standing Up: Patterns of Daily Stand-up Meetings, an excellent article by Martin Fowler on Agile practices.

Online team collaboration

Interesting links: LumoFlow and Basecamp. FWIW, for companies with distributed teams.

Writing for web apps

These books were recommended on the techwr-l mailing list by Stuart Burnfield. Must remember to check them out. The first one at least is familiar by repute.

• Read Me First: A Style Guide for the Computer Industry
  by Sun Technical Publications
• Web application design handbook: best practices for web-based software
  by Susan L. Fowler, Victor R. Stanwick
• Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works
  by Ginny Redish

Changed blog title

I changed the blog title to match the URL, otherwise things get confusing...

Bad Language

Bad Language: a blog about writing. I find this post oddly appropriate right now.

StyleVision review

Review of Altova's StyleVision. Now that looks interesting.

Tips, tricks and templates

Klariti offers free tools, tips and tricks, and a template shop to pay for it all.

Reviewing user interfaces

This looks useful: http://www.cybertext.com.au/10353.htm. Must view as soon as there's time.

User manual fail

Dadaist user manuals.

Open Here

Open Here: The Art Of Instructional Design by Paul Mijksenaar and Piet Westendrop.

Welcome

Welcome to To blog:. This will be a weblog in the old-fashioned sense of the word: my primary intention is to collect interesting-looking links and book tips about technical writing, information design and related topics.

(I admit that that's not the original sense of the word, but neither does it share the modern meaning of blog as a place for spilling one's guts about one's boring life. I've already got me some of those elsewhere :)