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RE: Why is it so hard to find the RoboHelp Asian Edition?
Subject:RE: Why is it so hard to find the RoboHelp Asian Edition? From:"Char James-Tanny" <CharJT -at- helpstuff -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 21 Jun 2005 09:20:41 -0400
Hi, Daniel :-)
> We use and distribute our English manuals in Compiled HTML Help. We are
> currently looking at localizing it for Chinese HTML Help.
>
> Why is it so hard to find the RoboHelp Asian Edition, mentioned so
> often. Rather, the Asian Edition is always for the older versions of
> RoboHelp.
Correct. I believe the last released version was for X3. I'm not sure who
offers it these days, if anyone...
> I have been wondering why is it that with this relatively important
> product feature (supporting double byte characters),for an industry
> leading product, I have to hear about and source it from various small
> suppliers on the Internet and not Macromedia or E-HELP.
Possibly because eHelp is no longer in business, having been acquired by
Macromedia, and Macromedia has ceased development on all flavors of
RoboHelp??? And with the Adobe-Macromedia acquisition in the works, no one
knows what will happen (although a lot of folks are making guesses!).
> Just a question, how are Chinese user manuals distrbuted, and compiled
> when the original source is in English. For localizers, do they use
> native Microsoft HTML Help compilers and Notepad all the way to do
> localization. Do people abandon RoboHelp for Chinese, and distribute
> everything in PDF?
That I don't know. It is possible to use Notepad (or any other HTML editor)
to translate the topic files, and use the .hhp file to compile the .chm
file. (The topics and .hhp should be copied first.)
> RoboHelp is a good and solid tool nonetheless so far for my use at
> least, in English. It would be sad if I had to switch horses midway
> because we don't want 2 different HATTs for the same but localized
> manuals.
I forget when X3 was released...2002, maybe? Several folks have reported (on
HATT) that they've had to work around the fact that X3 was the latest Asian
edition. Note that you technically would still have needed a second HAT for
the double-byte localization with RoboHelp...
Many Help authors are now evaluating other tools, given the news from
Macromedia this spring.
Char James-Tanny ~ JTF Associates, Inc. ~ http://www.helpstuff.com
2005 Microsoft Help MVP ~ MSHelpWiki http://www.mshelpwiki.com
AuthorIT Certified Consultant ~ AuthorIT Development and Training
Moderator, HATT and MSHelp2
STC Online Information SIG: Online Help Lead
Web site Hosting and Design ~ http://www.jtfhosting.com
Now Shipping -- WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word! Easily create online
Help. And online anything else. Redesigned interface with a new
project-based workflow. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
Doc-To-Help 2005 now has RoboHelp Converter and HTML Source: Author
content and configure Help in MS Word or any HTML editor. No
proprietary editor! *August release. http://www.componentone.com/TECHWRL/DocToHelp2005
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