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Motivation: Overview of the system with illustrated examples
Adobe/Macromedia RoboHelp has earned the reputation of being one of the most versatile documentation tools in the industry. It supports 5 basic Windows help formats, 2 Java-based help formats, plus 3 Web help formats including an innovative FlashHelp system. As well RoboHelp offers users 4 different development modes:
1 - Users can develop in Microsoft Word and with embedded commands and tools right in Word that take advantage of RoboHelp features and functions;
2 - the standalone version of RoboHelp that uncannily resembles Macromedia's Dreamweaver such as offering both code (RoboHelp enhanced HTML) and WYSIWYG edit views plus dozens of wizards and tools;
3 – the server version has a client that duplicates standalone features but adds check-in/checkout, version control, usage statistics and greater WebHelp preview and debugging capabilities;
4 – because RoboHelp has such good import capabilities, users can develop in Adobe Acrobat PDF or Framemaker, Microsoft Word or any word processor capable of producing Office 2000 or later .doc files, or Visual Studio help files and then pass to RoboHelp for the pro features and finishing touches such as table of contents and glossary.
Now RoboHelp is not without its blemishes - the most notable of which is the lack of a non-Windows full-featured development client and its late integration with version control and other SDLC-System Development Life Cycle tools. But on the whole RoboHelp is versatile and innovative such that documentation is greatly helped by its help systems. And RoboHelp itself is a good example of how electronic documentation should be done. It can be seen right from the Welcome screen and RoboHelp's own tutorials.
RoboHelp Starter
RoboHelp's
own help files are some of the best examples of how to do things in sophisticated
helps systems. So just use RoboHelp's powerful import capability and take
a look at any of the RoboHelp's own help files for pointers on how to implement
help. For example, RoboHelp Starter, the first program interface users
see on opening RoboHelp , should be the model for how to do Getting Started
documentation electronically. It has five tabbed pages full of useful getting
started info and functions.
RoboHelp Central is full of links to useful tips about using RoboHelp.The leading
two are Start the new Project Wizard and View the RoboHelp HTML tutorial. I would
highly recommend the tutorial for all users. First, the tutorial brings users up
to speed very quickly in the basics of what is available in RoboHelp. Second, as
noted before, RoboHelp's own help systems are some of the best examples of what
can be done in RoboHelp. So they teach by example.
For users anxious to get started on a project just click on the Open tab to get a list of all the previously developed RoboHelp projects. RoboHelp keeps track of all the projects that have been deleted outside the system and removes them from the list of projects. However, it is not like the Pro version of RoboHelp which has a database and version control system to keep track of all aspects and changes to a project with rules and checks determined by the project owner.
The
RoboHelp Help Formats
The standard edition of RoboHelp supports seven different help formats including
the new FlashHelp format.
By clicking on the New project tab users get an overview of each of the 7 help formats. If the users click on more info link a popup dialog provides a detailed description of what each help format provides for. Here is a summary of the seven RoboHelp Help formats:
1)WebHelp is
a cross-platform help format that uses open standards like HTML, XML, CSS,
JavaScript, and others to deliver help file assistance to any browser: IE,
Mozilla, Netscape, Opera, etc.
2)WebHelp Pro is a cross platform help format as well that uses a server
to deliver to most popular client browsers (Windows, Mac, Linux, Unix)help functions
with add capabilities such as natural language-like search dialogs, dynamic updates
to helpfiles, and statistics tracking what users are looking up most often in the
help systems. The WebHelp Pro help server must run in Windows and IIS.
3)FlashHelp is another cross platform, web-based browsing system that uses
Macromedia's Flash, plus HTML and XML to deliver a more consistent and feature-capable
help assistance. FlashHelp works in any browser and OS supporting Flash version
or better. A server can be used; but it is not required.
4)HTMLHelp is Microsoft's browser help system that requires Windows 95 or
better and IE5 or better.
5)WinHelp2000 is Microsoft's latest client help system; it delivers modern
dual and tabbed help while requiring Windows 95 or better as the OS.
6)WinHelp 4 is Microsoft's RTF(Word based)help format that supports only
single pane help files but Windows 95 or better OS.
7)WinHelp 3 is Microsoft's earlier RTF help format that supports only single
pane help files and Windows 3.x.
The Pro version of RoboHelp also supports Java-based help formats and of course
is the basis for WebHelp Pro services it runs on Windows and IIS servers only.
In general, RoboHelp provides the widest coverage of Windows and cross platform
help systems. This coverage is aided by RoboHelp 's import capabilities.
RoboHelp
has one of the more ambitious import facilities for trading in all the help
file assets of an existing system for modifying and or upgrading that system.
RoboHelp can read WinHelp *hlp or *.hpj files,Microsoft Help *.hhp project
files, Microsoft Word *.doc files for use as help file starters. RoboHelp
can read Adobe Framemaker *.mif files or Adobe *.pdf files for their help
file content.
We conducted some simple tests and found the following on import. First. Adobe
PDF files imported with fairly good fidelity but required a
staged approach – an 80 file PDF had to be done in four 20 page stages.
Word .doc files required Word 2000 or greater must be on the same machine (not
Word Perfect or Open Office) and imported also with fair fidelity – some
page boundaries and image placements were out of kilter; but as the import options
were changed the images and boundaries were on but margins and
tables went askew. These problems were easily edited in RoboHelp and the time saved
on import was so substantial these fixes were not worth worrying about.
But direct importing of .HLP files proved more problematic. Some came in with no difficulties; but others, even simple ones would pose various problems on import. There are a lot settings and steps to follow for proper importing of .HLP file format – so be forewarned, the process is not automatic and requires careful attention. Finally, we did not attempt to import Adobe Framemaker .mif files or Microsoft help project files (.hhp, *.hpj) .If readers are interested (mailto:jsburv@theopensourcery.com) then we shall do a special review of this topic.
Finally, the add-on tools available
with RoboHelp are a mixed bag of quite useful with demos
(RoboDemo for example) and the very specific (HTML Help registration). Again
these tools will be covered in more detail as we begin a series of Help projects
demo-ing RoboHelp's capabilities.
Overview Summary
As noted above RoboHelp has one of the most ambitious sets of capabilities offered for Help file development including 7 help formats in the standard edition, a Pro edition with not only additional formats but also version control and check in and checkout features for team help file development. In addition, RoboHelp uses an XML+HTML+CSS base as its basic storage format which makes it very approachable by many web developers. For example the many template and skin files available in RoboHelp use HTML+CSS extensively. Another attractive feature for web developers turned documentors is that the RoboHelp interface bears a striking resemblance to Dreamweaver , one of the more popular Web development IDEs. Finally the import facilities are quite ambitious (a bit more than successful – but still able to deliver substantial time savings.
In sum, RoboHelp is not lacking in direction and ambition ... the proof of the putting will be in next series of practical tests of the tool on various projects. See simple help projects as a starter. But there is no doubt RoboHelp has more than the basic ingredients and tools for creating great help systems. RoboHelp's own help is a prime example of what can be done.
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