Solution: Madcap Flare and field-level help

["Rowena Hart" <RHart -at- ACDSystems -dot- com>]

Hi folks,
 
Last week I asked if anyone on the list had found a way to establish
field-level context-sensitive help with Madcap Flare. (Flare does not
explicitly support field-level help.)
 
Melissa S. responded with an ingenious work-around that I thought I'd
share with this list.

1.	Import your old RoboHelp project and generate an HTML Help file
(aka CHM).
2.	In \Output\<username>\Temporary\Microsoft_HTML_Help\Content\
open the _Temp.hhp file with Notepad.
3.	In the [MAP] section of the file, include the .h file and the
.txt file containing the field-level map IDs and text strings. For
example:
	
	[MAP}
	#include helpids.h
	#include helpstrings.txt
	
4.	In the [TEXT POPUPS] section of the file, type the file names
(without #include). For example:
	
	[TEXT POPUPS]
	helpids.h
	helpstrings.txt
	
5.	Save the file.
6.	Open _Temp.hhp in HTML Help Workshop (you can download it for
free from Microsoft).
7.	Compile the HTML Help file.

The only downside to this approach is that the _Temp.hhp is overwritten
every time you compile the help using Madcap Flare. So, you need to
repeat this process every time you compile the help for a build. Someone
with a bit of programming skill could easily create a script that would
insert the required text in the _Temp.hhp file; I'm not sure if a script
could launch HTML Help Workshop and compile the help, too.
 
Thanks again to Melissa for this work-around. We didn't want to lose all
of the work we've put into field-level help; hopefully, Madcap will add
field-level context-sensitive help support to its next release.
 
Cheers,
 
Rowena
 
Rowena Hart
Technical Writer
ACD Systems

T	 250.544.6700 x 6784	
F	 250.544.0291	
www.acdsee.com <http://www.acdsee.com/> 	


------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
This message and any attachments are confidential, privileged or
proprietary in nature, for the use
of the intended recipient only, your receipt is not a waiver and does
not grant any rights. If you are
not the intended recipient any review, dissemination, distribution, or
copying of this communication is
strictly prohibited; please delete it and notify the sender immediately.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------

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

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content
delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Easily create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to any popular Help file format or printed documentation. Learn more at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.