OT: Software recommendations

[Art Campbell]

I'd definitely look at TCS2, and then look at a couple of additional
things beyond that to investigate:
 1. MIF2Go can do a couple things RH can't, and vice-versa. So I'd
also investigate a second HA solution that can run off FM
single-source.
 2. If you're also doing manuals, or they want to continue doing
manuals, I'd look at the DocBook standard as a simpler alternative to
DITA, and one that may be easier to implement if they already have a
manual paradigm.

If you're not already a member, you may also want to join the TCS
User's Group at http://groups.google.com/group/TCS-Users?hl=en.

Art Campbell
               art.campbell at gmail.com
  "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52
Vincent and a redheaded girl." -- Richard Thompson
                                                      No disclaimers apply.
                                                               DoD 358



On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 4:23 PM, Roger Shuttleworth
<rshuttleworth at avbasesystems.com> wrote:
> Hello All
>
> I just started a new job at a software company whose product is very GUI-intense. User assistance is crucial, and our legacy versions use online Help that opens in a separate browser window. Management seem to be very open to the idea of embedded help, etc. in upcoming versions, and they are very serious about good UI design - so I'm hoping I'll be able to promote embedded help in the future.
>
> In the past the Help was  created in RoboHelp 7 and existed separately from any PDF output, but in the future I can see us also creating well-designed PDFs, single-sourcing the PDF and the Help, and maybe also training materials. There will also be about four software packages with different sets of features (so some form of inclusion/exclusion mechanism will be needed.
>
> I'm looking for recommendations as to which software package(s) to use. My inclination is to get TCS2, single-source in FrameMaker, and then push to RH. I'm pretty savvy with structured FM (though not v.9.0).
>
> Before I leap for TCS2, I wonder if there are other possibilities. We do not need XML as yet, though it may be a remote possibility down the road). I've also thought about using XML and the DITA-OT, but the PDF output is probably not good enough and there will be issues with file management in the absence of a content management system.
>
> Any suggestions will be welcome. Thanks for your help.
>
> Roger
>
> Roger Shuttleworth
> Technical Documentation
> AV-BASE Systems Inc.
> 1000 Air Ontario Drive, Suite 200
> London, Ontario
> N5V 3S4
> Canada
> Tel. 519 691-0919 ext. 320
> rshuttleworth at avbasesystems.com
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