Caroline said via email that FrameMaker does generate the map file automatically. Is that true? The documentation explicitly says you must create it with a text editor:
https://help.adobe.com/en_US/framemaker/2019/using/using-framemaker-2019/WS2d2a17056e2191986533fc06144fd9afdc4-8000.html On Tue, May 14, 2019 at 12:13 PM Robert Lauriston <[email protected]> wrote: > > 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 > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I have made context sensitive help without RoboHelp. ... > > > > On Tue, 14 May 2019, 20:58 Robert Lauriston, <[email protected]> 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 <[email protected]> > > > 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 <[email protected]> > > > 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. _______________________________________________ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to [email protected] Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to [email protected]
