API writers - a question about managing/presenting information in a single source environment

[Janet Swisher]

It's been a long time since I've looked at it, but there is a MIF
doclet for Javadoc that generates FrameMaker MIF files, as well as PDF
(http://java.sun.com/j2se/javadoc/mifdoclet/). If you have additional
information to add, you would probably want to generate MIF from
Javadoc, and then generate PDF separately after you've added your
other information.

Another possibility is to deliver the HTML output locally for offline
viewing. Perhaps wrap it together with your additional information
into an HTML Help or WebHelp project.

--Janet


On Nov 12, 2007 10:50 AM, Tom Mathieu <tmathieu at us.ibm.com> wrote:
> I write API documentation (developer's guides) for IBM components.
>
> To date, I take the developer's rough drafts of the javadoc and create an
> MS-Word-based developer's guide that "augments" the javadoc with
> class/method descriptions of the classes and methods.  The developers then
> cut and paste my text into the java source files (javadoc comments).
>
> We're looking for ways to reduce this replication of efforts.  The
> developers have agreed to provide me with access to the java source so
> that I can create/modify the javadoc comments, directly.
>
> But, I want to provide our customers with both online and offline access
> to the information (online access would be to the javadoc files in a
> browser, and offline access would be provided by a PDF of the javadoc that
> also contains more information, like examples/tutorials, etc).  Are any of
> you aware of a tool that will extract javadoc html and convert it to a
> printable/viewable PDF file, preserving the links, class hierarchy, index,
> and so on?