RE: FrameMaker > Help > FrameMaker?

["Spreadbury, David C." <David -dot- Spreadbury -at- marconi -dot- com>]

Since the HTML is ASCII, you could use a tool like TextPad and compare the
original HTML against what the programmers give you back. Then you would see
exactly what has been changed and use the diff doc as your source to change
the relative parts in the Frame source files. There are other compare tools
around that will do the same thing. Some are shareware and there are
freeware tools too. I think a $27 investment in Textpad wouldn't hurt, even
if you pay for it and keep it for yourself.

-----Original Message-----
From: wpsynek -at- datadesignservices -dot- com
[mailto:wpsynek -at- datadesignservices -dot- com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 4:02 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: FrameMaker > Help > FrameMaker?



> > I've never had to use RoboHelp before but now have
> > X4. Does this not work
> > well with FrameMaker to create help files?
> > 
> 
> That's not what you said--or what I thought you said.
> I thought you said you wanted to use RoboHelp to
> create FrameMaker files. No?

Not quite. Under their current plan, the source documentation would be
created by me using FrameMaker, which I would then use to create the Help
files by porting the FrameMaker files through RoboHelp X4.

At that point the software developers would keep the Help files updated by
modifying them directly using their copies of RoboHelp.

My main question was, when they brought me back in to update the
FrameMaker source files, is there a way to get the Help file edits back
into FrameMaker short of me eyeballing the files and doing word-for-word
comparisons.

> 
> > I also have Webworks Publisher and used it a bit to
> > create some XML
> 
> This is an apples and oranges thing. Using WWP to
> create online help and using WWP to create XML are two
> different things. Have you used RoboHelp to create
> XML?

We started to creat XML using FrameMaker and WWP, but then I was told to
abandon the project. Truth be told, I hadn't even thought of using WWP for
creating Help files mainly because the head of the Software group said
"use RoboHelp".

We never tried using RoboHelp to create XML.

> 
> But, the problem is your folks cannot use FrameMaker,
> right (why not? methinks they'd like it). 

I know they would, I've been using it since Frame 3 and can't even imagine
using anything else to produce large technical manuals for print or PDF
distribution.

> 
> >  but
> > have to admit that app baffled the H*ll out of me
> > (and of course there's
> > no budget for training). I have no idea if I'd be
> > able to create help
> > files with that or not.
> 
> WWP 2003 will have you making help files from
> well-made FrameMaker files within 30 minutes . . . 
> and then you'll want to customize some (for example,
> the standard templates do not include your company's
> logo).

I'll give it a try, but again I'm running into the "thou shalt use
RoboHelp" edict.

Thanks for the follow-up. It's still looking like the best process is
going to be Frame > Help using RoboHelp then tell the software developers
to keep their mitts off the files and submit all changes to Tech Pubs.

Bill Synek
Data Design Services, Inc.