Portfolio

The ProQuest Help system is a challenge to maintain and produce. Due to project constraints, I need to produce static web sites for 35 different versions of the ProQuest interface, each provided in 16 languages (that's a total of more than 500 web sites...)

Maintaining that many static sites in a traditional manner would be impossible. Instead, I keep the entire help system in a Microsoft Access database. Files are output for translation, then the translated content is imported using scripts I wrote in MS Basic. Another set of scripts outputs the help files into the correct directory structure. Finally, I use templates and plugins in Macromedia Dreamweaver to update the files and create a client-side javascript search engine.

Tools and packages:

• JavaScript
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe ImageReady
• Microsoft Access
• Macromedia Dreamweaver enhanced with Deva Tools and Deva Search

The ArborComm Web Site was a challenge for several reasons:

• The client wanted a site that was easily maintainable. This meant that the menu names could not be displayed as graphics, because the menu names would be changing regularly.
• The client wanted the site to use frames. This required scripts that would load two frames with different content whenever links were clicked.
• The client wanted all links to external sites to launch in new windows. This was because they wanted to make sure it was clear that the user was leaving the ArborComm site, avoiding any copyright issues due to confusion over content ownership. At the same time, they wanted the ArborComm site to remain open while the other sites were visited.
• The client wanted some information to be presented in pop-up windows.
• The client wanted rollovers for all menus.
• The client wanted three levels of navigation, horizontally organized.

Tools and packages:

• JavaScript
• Adobe Go Live
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe ImageReady

I use a simple TiddlyWiki online to store tips and techniques that I want to remember for using different tools. My Public Knowlegebase