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Subject:Re: Help files/RoboHelp/Organization problems From:Mitch Berg <mberg -at- IS -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 24 Apr 1997 09:12:29 -0500
Susan Brown wrote:
> We are not finished the English language version yet, but pressure
> is mounting to start on the translation into French (basically, we've been
> told we have to). There are two basic problems I am concerned with:
>
> 1) The mechanics of controlling updates. My solution has been to give our
> translator a version of the help system as it currently stands. This will be
> stored in a common directory on the network server called Current. When
> significant changes have been made to it, the common version in Current will
> be moved to Previous, the new one to Current, and the MS Word Compare will
> be run and saved, so that she will have a marked up version of the new text,
> so that she can quickly find the changes. Danielle's concern is that we are
> not using an automated Version control system, but my feeling is that with
> only two of us involved, with desks right next to each other, a little
> communication will go a long way, and we don't really need to to try to
> automate everything. But I may be missing something. Comments?
Re version control: depending on the number of files in your help
system, you are probably correct.
Re MS Word Compare: Three words: Test, Test, Test. I've never had much
luck using it on live projects. Hope yours goes better.
>
> 2) The mechanics of actually creating the French version of the Help system.
> This is where I am on shakier ground. I see no point in reinventing the
> wheel (i.e. the structure of the help system, including links, secondary
> window specifications, browse sequences, etc.), and my idea was that she
> take the English Language version, translate the text straight, and use the
> RoboHelp Macros to change titles, hotspot text, and the keywords. I see no
> need for anything else to change. She wants to use MS Word (sans RoboHelp
> macros) to type in the translated text, then cut and paste into the English
> version. That strikes me as being more time consuming, but lack of
> experience in this type of thing on both our parts is making this difficult
> to sort out. Again, comment????
It's a close call, but your version may head off possible technical
glitchage, especially broken links.
> A final question: Is there some way with RoboHelp 3 that I can use
> the same file names in both the French and English version, but change the
> name of the compiled files that is created (as in ITFSV2, and ITFSV2_F)?
I don't have RH3 handy right now, and haven't worked in it for nearly a
year, but as I recall it's doable; just do Save As [a new project
name]. It should save the .HPJ to a different filename, but keep the
files. (But, as that guru of techComm, Dennis Miller, says, "I could be
wrong...")
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