when this app will be updated ??

[harpo_]

I wonder when RH will be updated. The last version was released eons ago and has an enormous amount of very serious bugs.
It misses even features that are a standard for any $20 software, like the ability to use it in command line mode.
There are severe problems with the latest browsers for the webhelp files.
There are severe problems with the generated .chm files - using the free Microsoft html help workshop produces much better , error and problems free results.

Most topics in this forum actually discuss how to handle all these countless bugs in this too expensive and unreliable software product. . I need to know when it will become a reliable product.

[Peter Grainge]

If you truly need to know you should tune into the forum more often. There are threads giving such information and pointing to various posts elsewhere that state when the next release will be, that is early next year.

Most topics in these forums are not about bugs. Probably most are about user understanding but I'd accept there's a good number about shortcomings. On that, Macromedia had abandoned the product and now Adobe have to pick up the pieces. Surely you can realise that is not a five minute task, assuming you want it done properly.

You say about RH having an enormous amount of very serious bugs and then cite the absence of a command line mode. That is a feature that is not in the product, not a bug.

If you think RoboHelp has its problems, take a look over on the Flare forums. That is not without its problems either. Hopefully they will be addressed in their next release and Adobe will follow suit.

I really do not see what purpose this sort of post serves as it is not seen by Adobe. We are all users like you. You need to make this statement to Adobe, not us.

[MergeThis]

I may as well pile on, too!

There will always be those who pass themselves off as software developers after creating a "Hello, World" program in C, or as desktop publishing experts after two months using Word. Sigh...

Most bomb-throwers in this forum usually have not remained open and curious when attempting to learn this stable and robust application. And aren't most $20 products shareware utilities for things like link checking or file maintenance, and who cares if you can run them on the command line, anyway?

If you really want to go back to DOS on a Commodore, before the days of Windows and hackers, that bus left a long time ago.


Good luck,
Leon

[johnmccallum]

If I may add my two cents worth, I think we're being a bit hard on harpo_. The "severity" of any bug or design flaw is certainly in the eye of the beholder. In my eye, RH has been 'stable' and 'reliable' for eons. If harpo thinks the last version came out eons ago, he should see my version. But yet, there are things I wish would change but haven't for the last five releases. For example, the WYSIWYG editor insists on erasing any ID from a <SPAN> tag. In my mind, that is just bizarre. I've learned to work around it and that is the beauty of these forums. Harpo_ makes a good point in that if RoboHelp were perfect there would be no need for these forums, but I've yet to see software that is that good [except our product, of course 😉 ].

Harpo obviously needs to run from the command line and can't do it and that frustration comes through in the post.

As to when Adobe will release another version, perhaps the more important point is how Adobe will change the product. Since the world is moving in the opposite direction of our work here - toward web-based rather than validatable software, I don't hold out much hope for improvement from my perspective - and those last three words are key. We all have our own needs for the software. Our purpose here is not to defend RoboHelp but make it as useful as possible for those that choose to use it.

I use it because it serves my purpose well and harpo_ uses it, but why?

John

[RoboColum_n_]

OK. First of all I was tempted to respond yesterday but didn't want to fan the flames! I still don't but if you have a gripe may I suggest you use this link to vent your frustration to Adobe's RH wishlist. If enough of us ask for a feature maybe it will be included in the next release.

[CraigCC]

Hi Harpo,

Excellent Harpo, what would we do without people like you, throwing strange accusations around on a forum engaged in helping people work with a very stable product? Robohelp is still the most reliable Help Authoring Tool on the market in my humble opinion. Do mind me asking who your are and who you work for?

Kindest Regards
Craig

[RoboWizard]

Hi harpo_

Hmmm, the only harpo I'm aware of is Oprah Winfrey. Surely Oprah (backwards spells harpO) wouldn't be using RoboHelp! (I jest)

You know, I really do hate it when folks create threads like this. What good does it serve other than to try and stir up ill will amongst the good folks here that use the product? Is that your goal? What do you hope to gain? Do you work for MadCap or any of the other tool vendors out there?

You say "it misses even features that are standard for any $20 software". Care to cite some hard examples? Most $20 software I've ever seen is woefully lacking features. So at best, this is a nebulous accusation.

You further say "There are severe problems with the latest browsers for the webhelp files". Again, please do expound on things. What constitutes "severe problems"? I've used most of the outputs without seeing anything close to what I'd go so far as to call a "severe issue". However, I guess if you are using some browser constructed to run on a TRS-80 or Timex Sinclair, yeah I'd expect to see problems. Come now. Please cite some facts and not just make general statements.

You also say "There are severe problems with the generated .chm files". Again, another nebulous statement with no hard facts to back it up. Give us some facts! I've been using .CHM files for years without issue. Yes, there are recent restrictions imposed on them as far as where they can run, but those were imposed by the same folks you say make them flawlessly. Microsoft! RoboHelp has nothing to do with that. Sorry, but I can't help thinking about assorted movies I've seen when I hear statemenst like this. Severe problems conjures the scene in Rain Man where the Savant gets slapped and starts writing in his health journal that he had a SEVERE injury.

As for reliability, it's been my experience (and I should probably be up front here and advise that my experience is just a bit on the limited side. I've only been using RoboHelp since 1992, so I'm sure there are many others here with way more experience than I have with the product) that if you follow the rules of the road and know how to use the software, it's one of the most stable applications I've ever had the pleasure of working with.

Seems you missed the boat. RoboHelp *IS* already a reliable product. Your wait is over.

For me, the real question here is how well you might actually know how to use the product.

Cheers... Rick