RE: eHelp's "Mustang" FM ==> HTML conversion tool

[Goober Writer <gooberwriter -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

> I take it from the discussion that Mustang does not
> produce targetable
> source, but rather just a replacement for WebHelp?
> And, now that FrameMaker
> is easy to convert, we will see an ever increasing
> number of user manuals
> published as help?

David, I don't get your point, unless it was in jest
and I missed it. FrameMaker is no easier to convert
now than it was 10 years ago. Have MIF will travel, so
to speak.

I'm interested in Mustang. To be honest, I see it as
the best thing to come out of eHelp since the birth of
RoboHelp back in the days of BlueSky. I really think
eHelp has had nothing but a gap of overmarketed bells
and whistles since the mid-1990's. It began with the
birth of roboex32.dll and is even evident now with
FlashHelp. But Mustang, well, it looks to be very
different.

What intrigues me more is the fact that a Quadralay
employee went over to eHelp to make this application a
reality. That speaks to me on many levels, and has me
really beginning to wonder if Quadralay will, in
reaction, charge the line or punt. Latency will
certainly not be to their advantage at this point.

Don't get me wrong. WWP has advanced remarkably over
the past 4 versions. But, it still has its weaknesses.
One major weakness is its history; WWP has
historically been a bear to learn and use. And, to
make matters a bit worse, those who took the time to
learn how to use it well had to begin a re-learning
process from v.5 to v.6, and again to v.7, and again
to v.8/2003. Granted the UI began to come together
well, but building custom macros became more
difficult. I can't help but wonder if it was to boost
their consulting services.

But to get back to the heart of this thread, or at
least to the beginning of my post, I do see Mustang as
a big boulder being hurled at our techcomm pond. It
WILL make ripples. There's no question of that. It's
just a question of what side of the pond people will
be on once the waters calm.

As for more FM books going to online help, well, I
think most FM users are already there. The tools have
been in place for many, many years. Some have gone the
way of the dinosaurs, others have evolved over time.
But as for FM books going to online help, I personally
have been doing that since the mid/late 1990's.

How we use FM will not change because of a new help
authoring tool. The big change in the way we use FM is
happening now, given the new structured/unstructured
"bundle" that is version 7, and given the increasing
use of XML as a single documentation source.

My prediction is that, over time, FM will become less
of a DTP-like application and more of a structured
print engine. XML can be passed in and out, and FM
will drive the page layout and PS setup... a big ol'
schema and xslt for press, so to speak.

Oh well. It's almost 1:30am. Time to quit the gabbing
and hit the hay.

=====
Goober Writer
(because life is too short to be inept)

"As soon as you hear the phrase "studies show",
immediately put a hand on your wallet and cover your groin."
      -- Geoff Hart

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

NEED TO PUBLISH YOUR FRAMEMAKER CONTENT ONLINE?
?Mustang? (code name) is a NEW online publishing tool for FrameMaker that
lets you easily single-source content to Web, intranets, and online Help.
The interface is designed for FrameMaker users, so there is little or no
learning curve and no macro language required! See a live demo that
will take your breath away: http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l3

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