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The situation: I write manuals in FrameMaker 6.0 using conditional text to
produce three different versions of the manual. The manual is then converted
to HTML and used as context-sensitive help for our app which runs inside a
Web browser. (This is actually the first release using FrameMaker. In the
past they used Word.)
Save As HTML works pretty well, and I've tweaked most of the styles to
eliminate manual tweaking of the HTML files. I also gotten FrameMaker to
place each Heading 1 topic in its own HTML file per my boss's request. Links
work well. Now the trouble is that I need to know ahead of time what the
name of each HTML file will be, so the programmers can link to it.
Currently, I have no control over the names FrameMaker gives the files when
it splits the topics into separate HTML.
The questions: Is what I'm trying to do possible? Do I need an additional
tool to do it? Are there any good books on HTML help systems? (A search of
the archives listed _FrameMaker to HTML_, but according to Amazon that was
published in 1997 and I'm thinking things might have changed since then. I
have experience with Windows Help systems, but this is my first foray into
HTML help.)
Please don't suggest that hacking the manual up isn't the best way to
produce a help system. That's not a battle I'm undertaking this release.
Melinda Carr
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