Comments on: Focus, Focus, Focus

By: Israel Dalven

Israel Dalven — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:51:50 +0000

By default for WWH5 projects, the IE Title bar reads [Topic name] – Windows Internet Explorer and the Tab is labeled [Topic name]. I would like to see the Title fixed with text of my choice. This can be accomplished by editing the help.js file and placing the desired title in the Merge Settings, even in single-file projects.

This should be made easier with a dialog box not connected with merge. To me, it makes good sense to have the name of the help system shown in a prominent fixed place just as it is in Headers of printed documents.
The breadcrumbs provide the topic name, there is little need for it to be in the browser window title or tab.

By: Ben Allums

Ben Allums — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:47:04 +0000

Tamara,

I did just review your case. I will follow-up with Support to make sure they understand. This issue isn’t related to merge settings. It relates to your top-level groups. Just make sure you only have one. That will generate a single CHM file, as you desire.

By: Tamara Friedman

Tamara Friedman — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 22:06:57 +0000

Thanks for your feedback. I’ve tried both methods (and others) for getting a single CHM for download. The Customer Support Rep even took my files and tried. From what I’ve read and tried, WW MS HTML 1.x produces a CHM for every book/group and one CHM as an entry-point file. The customer needs to download all book/group-level CHMs as well as the entry-point file in order to access the individual content. So for me, that’s seven CHMs.

By: allums

allums — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:47:15 +0000

Tamara,

The limitation with WebWorks Help 5.0 is certainly a challenge. The links are implemented using JavaScript, and there is no simple way to engineer ourselves out of that box. We are investigating options, but they require a re-design to accommodate the change.

Regarding your HTML Help issue, ePublisher can certainly deliver a single CHM file to your customers. You need only create a single top-level group and add all your documents there. Or take your existing project and nest the existing groups under a single entry. The challenge here may relate more to how your context-sensitive help links are handled. I’m not sure if your interface to your application programs can handle a single CHM file. One possibility is to work with two projects. One that generates individual CHM files for use with your product. Another that generates a single CHM file with all content included for web download.

By: Tamara Friedman

Tamara Friedman — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:12:42 +0000

These are two issues I tossed back and forth with Support until it became clear that there was no solution in the present release (2008.4-2010.2). Both relate to multi-volume help projects.

For Microsoft HTML Help 1.x: ability to compile multiple FrameMaker books into a single .CHM file for delivery to the customer. Currently, the customer has to download each book-turned-chm along with one .chm file that connects them all. (We would rather have one 15mg chm than five 3mg chms with a 200k chm combining them.)

For WebWorks help 5.0: Navigation markers: 1) show visited links. It’s disorienting not to know where you’ve been on a help site, especially if you’re searching for a particular topic or type of information. 2) Enable multi-volume bread crumbs. I’ve implemented the work-around but it requires extra customization and then replacing parts of the content.xsl file at upgrade.

By: Scenes from the Engine Room » Is anybody out there there?

Scenes from the Engine Room » Is anybody out there there? — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 19:24:03 +0000

[...] research is tricky business. Knowing how to help your current customers is an easy affair (Focus, Focus, Focus). Keep your ears open and they will tell you what they need. Finding something new that both [...]

By: Franz-Josef Knelangen

Franz-Josef Knelangen — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:27:38 +0000

I second John’s suggestion completely!!!

The Boolean Expressions maybe the key feature in FM 8/9 to prevent DITA for another period of time but you have to be able to *use* them – with predictable results, of course.

Software engineers are very tricky in using there modules in different contexts – and we have to be able to do this, too. I think simple “classic” conditions are simply not enough.

IMHO the “per target styles” *together* with the “expression builder” would be the killer feature for all of us having to meet intricate connditional output requirements.

Best regards,

Franz-Josef
—
Time for my old std. discl, I think:
“All above has to be turned into decent English.”

By: John Pitt

John Pitt — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:41:16 +0000

Perhaps I’m being greedier than usual (I’ve already made a couple of requests, above), but circumstances change and different priorities bubble to the surface:

* Conditional Expression Builder UI for FrameMaker 8, 9 users

jjj

By: Scenes from the Engine Room » Sketching the Future

Scenes from the Engine Room » Sketching the Future — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:31:33 +0000

[...] RoundUp 2009 feedback session. This year, I asked for reader’s help in last month’s Focus, Focus, Focus blog entry. Those ideas have been added to the great material users submitted as enhancement [...]

By: allums

allums — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:11:10 +0000

WebWorks Help… got it.

RoboHelp – We’re seeing a lot of requests for this in the last month. What’s going on? People are finally ready to exit?