Modular Docs Part 1: Why You Want Modular, Topic-Oriented Documentation
http://blogs.sun.com/coolstuff/entry/modular_docs_part_1_why

Armstrong, Eric
Sun Microsystems
2008

Abstract:

When documents are built from components, and the components can have contextual variations, it becomes possible to construct built-to-order documents "on the fly", in response to user demands, rather than having to pre-create static versions of all possible variations. Once such a system is in place, it becomes possible for users to further customize the results by modifying the list of selected topics, rearranging their order, or even by adding new topics.