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Subject:RE: Tracking Revisions in Online Help From:"Susan W. Gallagher" <SGallagher -at- akonix -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 23 Aug 2001 13:00:20 -0700
> ... I'm researching how other companies and writers track revisions
> for testing and review.
>
> We currently use Robohelp to develop our online help. They
> suggest using Build Tags. The way I understand this is, you
> would create a topic to track your revision history, but not
> publish it with the online help...
Now, it's been a while since I've done any online help, but
IIRC, Build Tags are a feature of Winhelp that allows you to
tag individual topics for inclusion/exclusion in a particular
named build of a help file. So, for example, if you have a
topic with an _internal_ tag and another with an _internal_
and _external_ tag, the first topic will only show up in an
internal build of the project, the second will show up whether
you build an internal or external version of the product.
While this is a useful tool, it isn't really meant to do what
you're asking it to.
If you're creating online help, chances are you're working in
a software shop. If you're working in a software shop, chances
are there is version control software already in place for the
development team to use. So now I have to ask, why aren't you
using it too???
Software development teams asked and answered this question a
long, long time ago. That's why so many different, robust,
full-featured version control and configuration management
tools exist. That's why virtually every software development
team on the planet uses some sort of tool to track versions
and revisions to the software.
This is my own personal soapbox and certainly should not be
taken as a flame on you and your team, and I appologise that
it was your message that pulled my string. BUT! ;-) It never
ceases to amaze me that we have professional tools at our
disposal and refuse to use them. Instead, we create these
elaborate schemes of renaming and relocating documents, use
hammers to drive screws into the wall, whatever. Then we
b***h and moan that we don't get no respect. Well DUH!
Maybe it's because I've worked in version control; maybe
it's because version control has saved my butt on several
occasions. But you go to your VP of Engineering and you
say "I need version control" -- the VP's eyes light up,
the VP breathes a sigh of relief, the VP's respect for
you increases.
You are a professional. You have a job to do. You need a
professional's tool to do it with. You need version control.
Don't settle for anything less.
JMO/YMMV/HTH
-Sue Gallagher
sgallagher -at- akonix -dot- com
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