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I've used Author-IT for a small (approx 100 topic) help system and found it
to be stable, fairly easy to use, and more flexible than (an earlier version
of) RoboHelp (that I used a couple of years back). It was also relatively
cheap.
Learning curve? I was using it "in anger" within a few hours of completing
the tutorial. It's the kind of software that you can learn by using once
you've got your head around the basics.
Downsides? It doesn't exactly have the best documentation in the world,
though at least it's not in PDF like FM. Also, it had some issues importing
from a large legacy help system (but I was assured these would be addressed
in the next release - which should be about now).
In general it was a breath of fresh air. It felt less clunky than FrameMaker
with Webworks, and leaner and meaner than RoboHelp. I would certainly use it
for developing a much larger help system, given the opportunity.
(The single sourcing features are particularly tempting because they make it
possible to single-source on the fly, picking elements depending on the
output, and without having to create complex procedures to do so.)
Suggest you download the evaluation version and spend a day or two getting
to know it.
M
PS I hold no brief for Author-IT or its makers. I am, however, biased in
favour of things that make my life easier.
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Find out what all the other tech writers, including Dan, already know!
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