When a DITA information set is transformed into a book, the deliverable is a self-contained. Its navigation devices (page numbers, TOC, index, cross-references) are constructed from the DITA source. Likewise, when a compiled Help deliverable is created, the navigation is constructed. However, a compiled Help file is typically read in a viewing program that allows full text searching; that form of navigation is provided by the viewing engine, and is not derived from the DITA source.

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It has been a few months since the DITA Help sub-committee of the DITA TC was formed, with me as chair and Stan Doherty as secretary. Murphy's Law has seen to it that I have been flat out busy ever since, and I haven't had the chance to put some heavy work in yet. One of my roles is as a lecturer at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. We are moving the Graduate Certificate in Technical Communication programme online next year (2008) through Open Universities Australia. I have been co-ordinating this project, and that has been all-consuming.

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