Sure can, Roger. To keep it simple, I'll assume that your
application allows for two types of users: data entry specialists
and administrators. Data entry specialists can access a subset of
the application's features; administrators can access all of them,
including the administrative functions (e.g., creating new user
accounts, viewing user logs). In this case, the help author knows
that he needs two sets of help files: one for data entry
specialists, one for the administrators. This is the simplest case,
and it's easy to provide separate help files based on RoboHelp's
single-source layout capability; the application's programers
simply load the proper one at logon based on the user's type. Even
with multiple user types, this situation is relatively easy to
handle.
But let's expand the scenario. Suppose that, in addition to X
number of user types, you have an X+1 template: "Other."
Furthermore, suppose that members of the "Other" group can be
assigned any number of privileges in any combination desired. So,
if normally data entry specialists get privileges A, B, and C, and
administrators get privileges A, B, C, D, and E, a member of the
"Other" group can get privileges A and B. Or A and D. Or C, D, and
E. Or any of the large number of options available. This situation
is not easy to handle, because you can't produce a single help file
for members of the "Other" group.
Ideally, of course, you could make your help system modular,
allowing for privileges (or groups of privileges) to be bundled
into separate help files. But that creates some other problems,
starting with the most obvious inconvenience: your help menu at the
top of the application might contain a dozen (or more) links, which
will probably confuse the user.
That's the situation at my NPO. The application contains five
predefined templates, but it also allows for a sixth: "Other." And
the next iteration will allow users to name and define their own
templates, which blows modularity out the window. The best response
I've been able to come up with so far? Put a link to the
"Understanding Templates and Privileges" topic in the Related
Topics button for each topic. If someone else has a better idea,
I'm all ears. (Fortunately, no one has asked for such
help-topics-by-privileges functionality.)
-Chet