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Licensing and HTML Editor for Large No of Content Providers

Explorer ,
Oct 27, 2011 Oct 27, 2011

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Hi All

Currently evaluating RH (paln to use XHTML editor for source and targets will be WebHelp, hopefully with RH Server and export to Word for manual). We have a suite of 17 apps and will use a master project and child projects for each app. Got that all setup and my master pages, etc. Export to word looks pretty good.

I have about 20 content providers (no dedicated documentation resources), so I need a way for them to contribute styled content. I really don't want them using Word as it's too easy for them to stray from the supplied styles (we have that problem now for our Word docs). I'm keeping the style pretty simple (Para Styles: ChapterHead, H1-4 and Normal. Char Styles: MenuOption and Note, One OL and one UL. I'm sure I'll add a few more.) So I need to find a way for content authors to contribute and edit. (from what I've read, the PDF review will work well for review cycles. Seems my options are:

  • RH: I'm assuming that if I want them to use RH editor they all need a copy of RH @ $1,000 a seat, so that's out of the question.
  • Adobe Contribute may be an option: any using it with RH? IF so, how well does it integrate?

  • It seems my best option (to get the project approved and off the ground--read "low startup cost") is a simple free WYSIWYG HTML editor. I can supply everyone the CSS and a template, and they can create clean HTML. Anyone got any recommendations?
  • Other choices? Looking for suggestions

Any comments/suggestions on the above plan?


Regards

Mark

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Community Expert ,
Oct 28, 2011 Oct 28, 2011

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There is an article on my site about using Contribute. I tried it and how well it works depends on your level of patience and the people using it. I gave up after a while! RoboHelp has changed to XHTML since I tried so that may also be an issue.

The free HTML editors may not understand RoboHelp's processing instructions and may well munge them, be very careful. Some are based on the Gecko engine and my experience is that inserts tons of blank lines.

I think I would explore using Linking first. If that does not work for you, let them edit in Word and you then use Word's "compare files" function to find the changes and make them manually. We have also asked editors to mark any changes with three hash symbols so that we can search for the changes quickly. It may sound a bit archaic but it works very well.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

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Guest
Jul 24, 2013 Jul 24, 2013

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Any updates on Contribute?

I have multiple users who'd like the ability to make minor corrections (such as adding bold) without going through me. (I'd like that, too!)

I read your site, Peter, and I do understand what you're saying about making changes to the source files. Since RH 10 can be run over a network, would this make using Contribute easier/better? I do understand about making changes to source files as opposed to output....

Any advice or new thoughts?

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Community Expert ,
Jul 25, 2013 Jul 25, 2013

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It's still a source file even if it is on the network. Whilst the method worked, it did required users who understood how and stuck to the rules. Ain't too many of them around!

I suggest you try the PDF Review process.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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Guest
Jul 30, 2013 Jul 30, 2013

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What if the source files resided in SharePoint? I guess this doesn't alleviate the problem of users not understanding the difference between source and output....but I am curious to know if there are other ideas.

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LEGEND ,
Jul 31, 2013 Jul 31, 2013

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If you are using SharePoint as your source control application with RH10 and someone checks out a file, makes a change and checks it back in from outside RH10, this could potentially cause issues. It maybe sufficient to just ensure that you ALWAYS gets the latest version of all files before they do anything. You'd have to check this. Potentially they could be issues with you attempting to check out a file in RH10 that has already been checked out in SharePoint.

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Guest
Jul 31, 2013 Jul 31, 2013

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Dang. It makes sense, of course, but I really wish it didn't. Any other ideas for allowing minor modifications for users?

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