Re: A "Thread" in RoboHelp Online Help

[Chuck <writer -at- BEST -dot- COM>]

As was mentioned, browse sequences are what the marketing folks wants.

But what do the users need?

In most cases, online Help is accessed when users get stuck and need
assistance at a specific spot in the program, as you noted. So why would
browse sequences be necessary, at least in most of the Help system?

If users need to be led from topic to topic to find the information they
need when they access the system, one question I'd have is why can't
that information all be presented in the first Help screen? And if it
can't (too much information, for example), you're probably far better
off using the link navigation available that browse sequences.

If browse sequences are wanted simply so marketing can have an
additional bullet point for their sales pitches, then you can go into
your role as a user advocate and explain how they are generally not
used, and educate them on how user assistance is generally accessed.

barry -dot- kieffer -at- EXGATE -dot- TEK -dot- COM wrote:
>
> Greetings, I have been asked to find out if there is a way to add a
"Thread"
> to a RoboHelp help system.
>
> What the marketing dept wants is a way for a person who is using the help
> (WinHelp) system to be lead from topic-to-topic, and not just jump around.
>
> This is different from how most users use a help system where you follow a
> thread by clicking on jumps.
>
> Details:  RoboHelp 5.0 and Windows 95/98 OS
>
> Thank you in advance for your help.
>
> Oh, and sorry for the cross posting, true talent is not on one list alone.
>
> Regards,
>
> Barry Kieffer
> Senior Technical Writer
>   Tektronix, Inc.
> *  Phone: 503.627.4079
> * Email: barry -dot- kieffer -at- tek -dot- com
>
>