“Cut and paste” enters the computer age

A description is given of two ways in which technical writers can use computers to cut and paste more efficiently. The first method, retrieving information from online databases, is really just a more efficient way of doing something that has been done before. The second method, using `model components´ to generate customized information from descriptions stored online, is new. It enables technical writers to create and tailor information as it is being included in a draft and significantly affects the way technical writers do their job.