Office 2010 and RoboHELP 8.0.2

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

Current I'm running RH8.0.2 and office 2007. The RH version we use is the RH HTML variant and we do not export to word from the RH menu but when I do need to create word output it's done by copy and paste from the compiled webhelp output. Also note that we use TFS for source control.

Bearing this in mind is there any reason why I can't install Office 2010 and continue to run RH 8.0.2?

[Peter Grainge · Accepted solution]

Word 2010 does not work with RoboHelp 8 so you will not be able to import or export.

You don't need to export (which I take to include generating PDFs) so if you don't need to import, you should be OK. Not sure how / if import would work with 2010 installed.

Having the two on the same machine is not an issue, it's getting them to talk to each other that is the problem.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Peter Grainge]

BTW - RoboHelp 9 supports Word 2010 and the upgrade is at a lower than previous versions upgrade for RoboHelp 8 users.

It might be worth upgrading for other reasons.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Guest]

Thanks Peter. Regarding upgrade I'm currently in the process of  deciding whether to go for RH9 or Madcap Flare as Flare is xml based and potentially more stable/future proof . Is RH9 XML based?

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

I am not a Flare user, so can't say for certain, but I thought Flare was XHTML based, just like RoboHelp is today.

I always chuckle when I see that "Future Proof" bit, especially as related to Flare. Sounds like Madcap Marketing is doing a fair job of convincing you that the world would end if RoboHelp were to suddenly die and you would be suffering a total inability to take your XHTML topics and use them elsewhere. And that's just not true.

Even though you use RoboHelp to author, you are never bound by forever using only RoboHelp and it's quite simple to migrate to a different tool if you like.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7, 8 or 9 within the day! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcerStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[Peter Grainge]

Can you say someting is potentially more stable? Surely software is either stable or is not so what problems are you having where you think Flare will be more stable? Where do you feel RoboHelp is not stable?

As to future proof, Adobe have now released four versions adding new features all the time. I don't think they will chuck that investment away.

Is not having your source as XML giving you sufficient problems to justify the learning curve of a new tool? I don't get into RoboHelp / Flare arguments and that is not a comment against Flare. It's just that it is different so you will have to relearn.

Please don't think I am saying you should not look at anything else. Just remember what you were taught about the grass on the other side of the hill and run a colour check first.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Guest]

Thanks for your thoughts. Obviously, I appreciate that no package is perfect but I still get some problems on a daily basis with RoboHelp which I have reported elsewhere on the forums. javascript:; for example.

Chances are I'll probably stay with RH but I want to keep an open mind. From what you guys have said, is RoboHELP based on the same thing as Flare now anyway i.e XHTML?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Yes, since RH8+

[Guest]

Sounds like the two packages are more similar underneath then the marketing people would have us believe....

[Guest]

With regard to a potential upgrade to RoboHELP 9:

1. How will this affect my current help projects under TFS revision control?
2. Are there any style issues such as those I encountered with numbered steps going from RH6 to RH8? To fix that issue I has to create new paragraph styles using RH8's way of doing things for stepped instructions. I'm anxious to avoid doing so again. javascript:;
3. Does RH9 require any downloads to run TFS or registry mods as was the case with RH8?

[Peter Grainge]

XHTML and XML are not the same thing.

RoboHelp us XHTML while, as I understand it, Flare holds its source files in XML format and generates XHTML for the output. Unless you have already identified a need for having the source in XML, why worry?

The numbering issues were a one off when upgrading to RoboHelp 8.

I cannot help you on the TFS questions.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Guest]

Thanks Peter,

It's useful to know about the numbering issue. Will also bear in mind your comments re XML/XHTML.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

None that I've heard - download the trial & see for yourself

[johndaigle]

Hi Author Care

I have heard that Team Foundation Server, Perforce and Subversion (SVN) are third party apps which have been tested to integrate well with RoboHelp 9 including Windows 7 64-bit. (RoboSource Control is 32-bit only).

Sorry, I don't have a lot more than that, but I will try to find more particulars this coming week as Peter, Rick and I meet Adobe folks at WritersUA in Long Beach.

[Guest]

Hi John,

Thanks for that. I'd certainly be interested in any futher details that emerge. We use TFS here as because the developers use it.

Although it's been quite good in some ways, I'd like to know what the implications of an upgrade to RH9 would be on files already under TFS control.....

[johndaigle]

Regarding the XML/XHTML issue. There has been a lot of "hype" over these terms because XML has been the big buzzword for the past couple of years. That has resulted in a lot of confusion. BOTH Flare and RoboHelp editors are XHTML not true XML editors strictly speaking. A full fledged XML editor would be something like X-Metal or XMLSpy, or better yet, Structured FrameMaker. Further obscuring things, is that both products use XML to store data for things like the TOC, Index and many other control files underneath the hood. But in reality, they are both - *X*HTML editors. Except in my opinion, RoboHelp's is far more author-friendly and easier to use 🙂

[RoboAsh]

HI Author care,

Pre-Requisites to use TFS-2010 as required with RH 9 is that our machine needs to have Visual Studio Team Explorer 2005/2008/2010 installed.

With Visual studio 2005/2008 :

a.  Install Visual Studio 2005/2008

b. Install Visual Studio 2005/2008 SP1

c.  Install Team Explorer 2005/2008

d. Install forward compatibility upgrade for team explorer.

e. Edit registry value: HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/VisualStudio/9.0/TeamFoundat ion/Servers. Add a new String Value in there and make the name of it the name that you want to call your server connection. Make the Value "http://tfs-2010/tfs/DefaultCollection".

f. Install MSSCCI Provider for Visual Studio 2005/2008.

        With Visual studio 2010 :

a.  Install Visual Studio 2010 (it should have Team Explorer installed already).

b. Goto Team>Connect to Team foundation Server. Click on Add and give Name or URL as ‘tfs-2010’ and click OK.

c.  Select Team Projects as Demo and Connect.

d. Install MSSCCI Provider for Visual Studio 2010.

Hope it helps

Ashish