numbers of license

[Guest]

Hi experts,

our scenerio:

we have 10 users need to search information in RH9 and other 2 users not only need to search but mostly focusing on editing/creating the documents, and we wish to use the statistical reports, plus the two editors want to get feed back from 10 users when they are searching in the RH9 and accomadate their suggestions into their work.

by reading the on line manuals, I understand that we would need to buy one RH9 Server version, and one RH 9, other 10 users would just need the free Adobe Reader 10 we would be able to satisfy our needs, am I right?

Thanks in advance for all of your opinions,

Fran

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

What sort of help are you thinking of creating? 10 users searching the help don't need anything except access to the help you create. If it's going to be hosted on a server, then you might need RH Server; but the fact that you want feedback to the content creators/editors leads me in the direction of using AIR Help (it has a commenting feature). However, I'm not sure the browser-based version of AIR Help can be hosted/managed with RH Server - you'll need to look into that.

The number of RH licenses is dependant upon how many people will be using RH to create your help content.

[Guest]

Thanks Jeff and Peter,

1. As I understand AirHelp's commenting, especially the "shared commenting" need acrobat X Pro to work with it. and it would only allow the users commenting on PDF file. am I right?

What we need is when users are searching from WebHelp or AirHelp (browser based) they can make comments, and these comments could go back to editor on time. and we will need statstical reports (not just dinner:) for sure.

2. In this case, if we have two editors, I guess we will need one server version, one RoboHelp 9 version. or if we only have one editor/creator, one server version is good enough  for both creating and hosting the comments. is my guessing right?

3. Since we will have server version, do any of you can tell which type of Help would be the best for us, WebHelp or AirHelp? pros vs. Cons?

Thanks more,

Frances

[Peter Grainge]

As I understand AirHelp's commenting, especially the "shared commenting" need acrobat X Pro to work with it. and it would only allow the users commenting on PDF file. am I right?

You are mixing up the shared review feature and commenting. Shared Review is where you create a PDF so that a subject matter expert can comment on the content you have written so that you can revise it.

Commenting is an AIR Help feature that allows users to add what they want. It might be some supplementary instructions that only apply in their organisation, it may be some supplementary information, it is whatever they want. Comments can be shared between users as long as they are on the same network. I am assuming that as you only have ten users they are on the same network so you could use the AIR Help commenting feature.

However I note that you are talking about browser based air help and commenting is not available there or in webhelp. I believe it is available in webhelp pro which requires RoboHelp Server.

In this case, if we have two editors, I guess we will need one server version, one RoboHelp 9 version. or if we only have one editor/creator, one server version is good enough  for both creating and hosting the comments. is my guessing right?

You need one server licence for each server from which the help can be accessed. So if all users access the help from one location you need one licence. If different users access the help from different servers you need multiple licences. I am still struggling to understand the use of server with just ten users. Do you really mean ten people or may ten organisations or something else?

Everyone who is going to edit this help needs a copy of RoboHelp. If they are going to edit the same project at the same time you are also going to need source control.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

1. AIR Help commenting has nothing to do with Acrobat. PDF commenting requires Acrobat Pro X and Reader for each reviewer.

2. 2 editors of help content = 2 RH licenses. RH Server doesn't do anything with content except serve it up and keep track of what pages are hit, search terms used, etc.

3. Check the specs on RH Server to see if it supports hosting browser-based AIR Help - I'm not sure since I don't use RH Server or browser-based AIR (I use locally-installed AIR).

[Peter Grainge]

Jeff and I seem to be treading on each other's toes today.

There is no Pro version of browser based help so no it does not work with RoboHelp Server.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Thanks Peter - I didn't know that one & I had forgotten about b-b AIR not doing commenting ;>)

[Guest]

Hi Jeff and Peter,

Thanks very much for all of your answers, just need to clarify a little bit more:

1. our 10 users and the editor would be on the same network for sure, if we use the output type Adobe Air Application (is this the other name of locally-installed Air? Please confirm this if you can) and set up a network folder as the collaboration hub, the users should be able to comment on the information and the editor could moderate the comments. In this case, we don't need server version. Jeff, is this the scenerio you are working in? please correct me if I have described this wrong.

2. If we have to purchase server for the reports, we will still have to use Air Application output. as neither webhelp and Air Help browser-based do not have collabration set up.

that's very close to the conclusion:)

Fran

[Peter Grainge]

I don't think you need moderation as that is simply to stop unacceptable comments being shared. It doesn't sound like that is necessary in your environment. All you need is shared comments and they don't have to be moderated.

Server only works with WebHelp Pro and FlashHelp Pro. If you need what server offers then AIR help is not for you.

I am not certain to what extent the Pro versions support commenting so hopefully someone using Server will come in on that aspect.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[johndaigle]

Hi, Fran. I'll do my best to sort some of this out.

I personally like RoboHelp Server and it is an excellent choice for many scenarios - BUT - as Peter has mentioned, it seems overblown for your small group of 10 users. Normally RoboHelp Server would be serving hundreds and thousands of end users, not a measily 10 🙂

Presently, commenting (as you have described your team's use of it) is NOT available in RoboHelp Server output (WebHelp Pro/FlashHelp Pro). This is obviously a desireable feature and hopefully future releases will incoporate this. For now, commenting is not available.

Peter has extensive experience in using AIR Help. As he says, commenting is presently available only in the AIR Help as a locally installed application flavor and not browser-based flavor. So from your scenario description, it would seem locally installed AIR Help is the best solution for you. (Moderation is available should you choose to use it or not.)

So what about RoboHelp Server? When would it be a good choice? Here are the main two reasons:

1. Feedback Analytics - You have hundreds or thousands of end users and you would like to know what search terms they are using and which topics they are visiting. With this feedback, authors can continue to modify and update content to respond to their audience. Feedback Reports (think Google Analytics) provide this information to authors to help them tweak content over time. (However, in your scenario, these reports would not be meaningful with a group of only 10 end-users)

2. Limiting Access to Content - You have a need to limit access to portions of your content to certain groups. Perhaps there are security or confidentiality needs to address. Here is where RoboHelp Server is unique in assisting the author. RH Server allows you to publish to multiple "Areas", each with access limited (password protected) based on permissions setup by the author. (All of this on only one RoboHelp Server license.)

So, bottom line. I think AIR Help as an application would serve your scenario best.

John Daigle
Adobe Certified RoboHelp and Captivate Instructor
Evergreen, Colorado
www.showmethedemo.com

[johndaigle]

Me again Fran. After making my last post, I notice you sneaked in another one 

"In a reviewer's guide regarding to RoboHelp Server 9, it says comment  moderation provided for Adobe AIR Help2.0... to assist in the  deployment of comment moderation, authors can now use RoboHelp server 9  to host and manage the comment apporval process."

I can see where this is confusing. The Reviewer's Guide is referring to a convenience provided by RoboHelp Server that is mutually exclusive of AIR Help (stay with me here!) In other words, if you would like to store AIR Help comments on an HTTP server (instead of a network server), you can (optionally) use RoboHelp Server as a simple password protected repository for AIR Help comments. So even though RoboHelp Server does not provide commenting for its own output, it can serve as a parking spot repository for AIR Help comments as a matter of convenience.Thus the understandable confusion.

john

[Peter Grainge]

Thanks John for the RoboHelp Server input.

Jeff is right in suggesting that if you have RoboHelp Server then you can use it to store that desktop AIR Help comments but you will get nothing else out of it for AIR Help. It will not give you the user stats etc. To say it again, they are only from WebHelp Pro and FlashHelp Pro.

If you have $1999 to pay for RoboHelp Server, please use the Donate button on my site. I'll fly over from the UK, configure AIR help to store the comments on an ordinary server and pocket the difference. I'm kidding but just making the point that is all you will get with AIR Help. If you want what the Pro flavours offer that's fine but it is not commenting. You have got to back one or horse or the other.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Guest]

Many thanks!

I just find AIR Comments folder under the sample project. I am wondering if that's the file will contain all the comments from 10 users. and we can just look into these comments to figure out how to improve our information, if we don't have a server version. this is a contact center that have 10 users by the way.

AIR Help application is the way to go, actually I should be able to test it if I install the .Air file in other user's computer? I need to demo it to the superuser.

Just find out the meeting could only be held on the 31th day of this trial version. Is there a quick answer or should I initiate a new thread?

Fran

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

You'll need to download the AIR Help runtime installer if the user's machine doesn't have it installed already. Then their system will recognize the .air file and install it.

[Peter Grainge]

The purpose of that folder is explained in the sample projects. What you need to do now is set up a RoboHelp project, create an AIR file, install it and play with it.

There is a full explanation on my site. Work through that and then ask whatever questions you have in the AIR Help forum.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

There are 2 flavours of AIR Help - locally installed and browser-based. As Peter notes, commenting only works with the locally installed variety. You indicate a location on your network where the xml comment files are sent and picked up by the other users. I'm not sure if there's any mechanism to pull comments back into the RH project source content (I don't have commenting enabled in my AIR project). There's no real moderation of the comments - that sounds more "wiki" which RH currently doesn't really do.

If you're looking for reporting like pages hit, search terms used, etc. then it sounds like you would be looking at getting RH Server and creating WebHelp Pro help output instead - Peter thinks that it supports commenting (I have no experience with it - my other projects are plain WebHelp hosted on client's network servers).

[Guest]

Hi Peter and Jeff,

In a reviewer's guide regarding to RoboHelp Server 9, it says comment moderation provided for Adobe AIR Help2.0... to assist in the deployment of comment moderation, authors can now use RoboHelp server9 to host and manage the comment apporval process.

by the way, what is WebHelp Pro different from webHelp?

Thanks:)

Fran

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

That still sounds like RH Server is acting as the place where locally installed AIR Help is sending comments to. Maybe Peter can tap his Adobe contacts to see what flavour this is referring to.

The only difference between WebHelp and the Pro flavour is that Pro is intended for RH Server.

[Peter Grainge]

Adobe Reader is for reading PDF files and nothing to do with RoboHelp.

Each person who is creating content needs RoboHelp 9. Users need nothing to search and use the help. Where you go from there depends on what you are trying to do. If you just need comments from the other people on the content then the AIR help that Jeff has suggested is one solution with the advantage you don't have to spend any more money.

RoboHelp Server is more about ascertaining details of the topics visited, search terms, searches that failed to find a topic and stuff like that. At $1999 that seems quite a price to pay to learn how 10 people are using the help. Heck, it would be cheaper to take them out to dinner and talk to them.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge