Handling Product Specific Sentences With Variables

Let's say you have one Topic, but you wish to use it to document two (or more) different products. Some of the words, or sentences, in this Topic are specific to each product. Let's use the following scenario:

When you buy your <Product> from us, you get more than pulling power. You also get this great-looking <if Product="5-ton truck" then "display surface for advertising your business" else if Product="runabout" then "sportster which any girl would be pleased to be seen in">.

This picture says it all! <if Output="monochrome" then <if Product="5-ton truck" then Truck5.gif else if Product="runabout" then sportster.gif> else if Output="pre-press" then <if Product="5-ton truck" then Truck5.jpg else if Product="runabout" then sportster.jpg>>

Call and talk to your local sales team. Take a trial run. Try it for size. The guys down at your local <if Product="5-ton truck" then "Trucks'R'Us" else if Product="runabout" then "Speedy Wheels"> outlet are waiting, just for you, with deals that will make you drool. We're ready - are you?'

Using Variables, this scenario would simply become:

When you buy your <Product> from us, you get more than pulling power. You also get this great-looking <Product Description>.

This picture says it all! <Product Image>.

Call and talk to your local sales team. Take a trial run. Try it for size. The guys down at your local <Product Vendor> outlet are waiting, just for you, with deals that will make you drool. We're ready - are you?

The Variables - shown in the <angle> brackets - can be assigned a value at either Topic or Book level.

If there are other Topics that are specific to each product, you would create a Book for each product (you can duplicate the Book which reuses the exact same topics so you are still single sourcing) and assign the different values to the Variables as used for each Book. You can even nest Variables inside Variables, which makes them even more flexible.