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Subject:Re: RoboHelp 7 and Customer Feedback From:Robert Courtney <bobsc1 -at- earthlink -dot- net> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:19:22 -0800
Robert,
Hadn't thought of that. I know you can put a print link on each RoboHelp
topic to print just that topic when you select the link. Should be able
to do the same in RoboHelp for sure.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Robert Courtney
Technical Writer
PDSI – Principal Decision Systems International
O: (800) 850-7374 ext 1283
F: (714) 703-3000
E: robertcourtney -at- pdsi-software -dot- com
www.pdsi-software.com
On 1/14/2010 11:07 AM, Robert Lauriston wrote:
> A really simple low-tech way to do it is to put a mailto link at the
> bottom and/or top of every topic. I don't know about RoboHelp, but I
> was able to configure MIF2Go to automatically include the topic HTML
> file name in the subject line.
>
> On Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 10:50 AM, Robert Courtney<bobsc1 -at- earthlink -dot- net> wrote:
>
>> I'm looking at a way to get customer feedback on a webhelp system I'm
>> developing. I have read the RoboHelp help file and have found I can make
>> a form in a topic and request feedback. The feedback is then captured on
>> a server with a DB. That's doable for me. There has to be a better way
>> to get customer feedback on the help system.
>>
>> There is an option for RoboHelp to use their software server and db to
>> capture help and track statistics.
>>
>> I have also been looking at Madcap just out of curiosity to see what
>> they offer. Not that I am jumping to Madcap anytime soon or ever.
>>
>> Any ideas and help would be appreciated.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Robert Courtney
>> Technical Writer
>> PDSI – Principal Decision Systems International
>> O: (800) 850-7374 ext 1283
>> F: (714) 703-3000
>> E: robertcourtney -at- pdsi-software -dot- com
>> www.pdsi-software.com
>>
>>
>> On 1/14/2010 10:38 AM, McLauchlan, Kevin wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> First, Missy Smith said:
>>>
>>>
>>>> My new employer wants to make our help system available to our
>>>> customer to download. What files are needed to create a
>>>> "portable" help system? Is this still WebHelp?
>>>>
>>>>
>>> ... then she came along with...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Okay, I just came back from my boss' office. She showed me a
>>>> zip file that they distribute and the customer downloads. The
>>>> only files it contains is all html files and a folder with
>>>> images. That's it. She stabs her finger at the monitor and
>>>> says, "That's what I want."
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Hmm. Sounds fishy to me.
>>>
>>> JUST html and images...
>>> No CSS?
>>> No XML or other glue?
>>>
>>> There's a reason that RoboHelp and Flare (and others?) WebHelp
>>> contains a BUNCH more files than just straight html and some
>>> images.
>>>
>>> Those additional files (in a few sub-directories) are what
>>> makes it _help_ instead of just a collection of html pages.
>>>
>>> Things like the Search facility and the ToC, and Index and
>>> Browse Sequences, etc. are implemented via those other files,
>>> in addition to the straight html. Without them, you've got
>>> some reading material, but you don't have a working, useful
>>> Help system.
>>>
>>> For each of our products, my WebHelp has
>>>
>>> /top-directory_named_for_product
>>> /Content
>>> /somedirnamepeculiartomyproduct
>>> /anotherdirname
>>> /andanotherdirname
>>> /andyetanotherdir
>>> /Resources
>>> /Images
>>> /Data
>>> /SkinNewWindow
>>> /Skin(mycompanyname)
>>> /Skin
>>> /Images
>>> -startpage.htm
>>> -startpage.js
>>> -startpage.mcwebhelp
>>> -startpage.xml
>>> -startpage_CSH.htm
>>> -startpage_Left.htm
>>>
>>> That gets delivered to the customer in one of three ways:
>>>
>>> - on the software CD/DVD
>>> - on a standalone Docs CD that comes along with the software
>>> - in a downloadable tarball or zip archive of<see above>.
>>>
>>> The customer has the option of running the help directly from
>>> the CD, or copying the complete structure to their PC hard disk
>>> and running it from there. (Or they can toss it on a file server,
>>> but in this form it's not meant to be served by a webserver engine.)
>>>
>>> Does what your boss showed you include the functions of a
>>> usable help system? Or does the user just open each one by
>>> filename with their browser, then close it?
>>>
>>> The advantage of WebHelp is that it works pretty-much the same
>>> on Linux or Solaris as it does on Windows.
>>>
>>> - Kevin
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>>
>>> Are you looking for one documentation tool that does it all? Author,
>>> build, test, and publish your Help files with just one easy-to-use tool.
>>> Try the latest Doc-To-Help 2009 v3 risk-free for 30-days at:
>>> http://www.doctohelp.com/
>>>
>>> Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing,
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>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>
>> Are you looking for one documentation tool that does it all? Author,
>> build, test, and publish your Help files with just one easy-to-use tool.
>> Try the latest Doc-To-Help 2009 v3 risk-free for 30-days at:
>> http://www.doctohelp.com/
>>
>> Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing,
>> learn to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and
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> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Are you looking for one documentation tool that does it all? Author,
> build, test, and publish your Help files with just one easy-to-use tool.
> Try the latest Doc-To-Help 2009 v3 risk-free for 30-days at:
>http://www.doctohelp.com/
>
> Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing,
> learn to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and
> get tips on FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION best practices. Free at:
>http://www.ModernAnalyst.com
>
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>
> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>
>http://www.eset.com
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>
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>
>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Are you looking for one documentation tool that does it all? Author,
build, test, and publish your Help files with just one easy-to-use tool.
Try the latest Doc-To-Help 2009 v3 risk-free for 30-days at: http://www.doctohelp.com/
Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing,
learn to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and
get tips on FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION best practices. Free at: http://www.ModernAnalyst.com
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