[Framers] [WTF ramemaker] Best Practices for HTML Online help

[Robert Lauriston]

Sure, it's technically possible, but automatically generating the map
file is a basic feature of help authoring tools. Doing it manually in
a text editor invites human error.

The FrameMaker doc itself points to the RoboHelp "Information for
Developers" section. That's the correct way to write help calls in
applications.

The help  calls you described in
https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2314670 are a kludge and I would
strongly recommend not doing that. At a previous job I had to rewrite
hundreds of help calls in the source code because developers used a
similar kludge, which by the time I took over the project a few years
later had resulted in many broken links.

On Tue, May 14, 2019 at 11:48 AM Caroline Tabach
<caroline.tabach at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I have made context sensitive help without RoboHelp. ...
>
> On Tue, 14 May 2019, 20:58 Robert Lauriston, <robert at lauriston.com> wrote:
>
> > Looks like having both FrameMaker and RoboHelp (i.e. Adobe Technical
> > Communication Suite) is essential for publishing context-sensitive
> > help.
> >
> > RoboHelp can generate the map file from the TopicAlias markers:
> >
> >
> > https://help.adobe.com/en_US/robohelp/2017/robohtml/#t=book%2Frob_createhelp_ch%2FManaging_map_files-.htm%23TOC_Export_a_map_filebc-3&rhtocid=_10_2_1_2
> >
> > FrameMaker multi-channel publishing requires you to maintain the map
> > file manually in a text editor, which is insane:
> >
> >
> > https://help.adobe.com/en_US/framemaker/2019/using/using-framemaker-2019/WS2d2a17056e2191986533fc06144fd9afdc4-8000.html
> >
> > On Tue, May 14, 2019 at 9:58 AM Robert Lauriston <robert at lauriston.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Since you're posting this on the Framers list, I presume you're using
> > > FrameMaker.
> > >
> > > Its "multi-channel publishing" feature is a subset of RoboHelp. You
> > > probably want to choose Responsive HTML. Do not choose Microsoft HTML
> > > Help.
> > >
> > > Alternatively, link the FrameMaker source to RoboHelp, and you'll have
> > > the full RoboHelp feature set. In that case, you might choose WebHelp
> > > over Responsive HTML. Look at both.
> > >
> > > On the FrameMaker side, define the target topics using TopicAlias
> > > markers. That's covered in the FrameMaker user guide.
> > >
> > > On the app side, you can find detailed information on CSH calls in the
> > > "Information for Developers" section of "Context-sensitive help"
> > > chapger of the RoboHelp user guide.
> > >
> > >
> > https://help.adobe.com/en_US/robohelp/2017/robohtml/#t=book%2Frob_createhelp_ch%2FInformation_for_developers-.htm
> > >
> > > *** You want to create and maintain the map file and provide it to the
> > > developers, not vice-versa. ***
> > >
> > > You do not need a separate target topic for every application context.
> > > Many application contexts can point to the same help topic.
> > >
> > > Be sure that the developers implement a default help topic to open
> > > when a context is unmapped or the map is wrong.
> > >
> > > On Tue, May 14, 2019 at 7:44 AM Art Campbell <art.campbell at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > My company is developing a new browser-based software package that is
> > specced to include screen-level context sensitive help.
> > > >
> > > > The coders haven't done this before and are asking for
> > help/assistance/advice on developing the coding standard for this and other
> > products going forward.
> > > >
> > > > I'm thinking the basics are the basics -- a call in the program goes
> > to a mapping table that invokes the HTML help screen in a new tab/window or
> > a popup.
> > > >
> > > > What I'm looking for feedback / ideas on are a good method to call
> > Help from the application (icon/keystroke/widget), and any Best Practices
> > that people are already using, either on the coding or information
> > development side.