Is RoboHelp Server what we need?

[karen_impro]

My company has multiple product lines that each have their own help file system. We also have multiple technical writers. We are currently using RoboHelp 9 with Team Foundation Server to maintain our file system. When we need to collaborate on a project however, whether we use RoboHelp Source Control or Team Foundation Server we run into problems with missing files, they are not being updated properly, etc. I know in the future we are looking to take our help systems online, but we aren't there yet. I am just trying to figure out if RoboHelp Server 9 would help us collaborate on projects better or more easily than our current system.

Please give me your advice.

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Karen.

Whilst you can use RoboHelp Server to host your online output, it is not a colaboration tool. If you are getting issues with missing files inside your source control application, please provide some further detail and we'll try and help. There should be no reason why either RSC or TFS should report missing files.

[Captiv8r]

Hi Karen

I'm going to differ from Colum a bit and say that RoboHelp Server *CAN* be used as a collaboration tool if you use it in a specific way. Just as there is more than one way to "skin a cat", there is more than one way of collaborating.

One way of working would be to split your projects up so that each author becomes captain of their own ship. By that, I mean each author maintains sole responsibility for editing one or more specific projects. Because nobody has their fingers in each other's pies, there is no source control needed or involved. When finished, each author generates a "Pro" output and publishes to the RoboHelp Server. The RoboHelp Server handles presenting the collection of projects to the users as if it were a single project by performing a merging of the Table of Contents, Index and other items.

Whether or not this sounds like an avenue you wish to pursue is totally up to you. I'm simply making you aware it exists.

Cheers... Rick

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