I've a newish user, who has been using Flare to write topics, while other, more technical people handled connecting that output to the software I was documenting.
I'm in a new position where I'm trying to figure out how that "connecting" piece works. We know we can use conditional tags to create versioned outputs. Here's what we want to do: User in V1 clicks Help, the V1 content opens. V2 User clicks Help, V2 content opens. Both versions are currently in use at customer sites. We are also hoping that users of different software products can access product-and-version-specific content.
What is involved in making that connection? Will the team that manages releases have to update the Help Link each time there is a new release? Is there any way the help link can direct to the same URL in both software versions, but when it's clicked, the matching help version opens?
I'm also trying to understand how much I'm asking the release management team to do, if I'm creating multiple, versioned outputs.
Thanks!
Connecting versioned output to versioned software
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TechWriter99
- Jr. Propeller Head
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2017 10:09 am
Re: Connecting versioned output to versioned software
Hi TechWriter99 -
You should provide two outputs. Each output would be in a unique root folder, have one "startup" page and be specific to the version of the software. Once the startup page in any one version is accessed the help content in its entirety is accessible. So the developers need to recognize the version of the software and based on that version when a user clicks help, direct the user to the appropriate startup page in the appropriate folder.
Developers should not have to update anything once the initial startup page and folder are coded. You continue to update the documentation and overwrite files with updates. Do not change the startup page or folder.
Hope my response points you in the right direction.
You should provide two outputs. Each output would be in a unique root folder, have one "startup" page and be specific to the version of the software. Once the startup page in any one version is accessed the help content in its entirety is accessible. So the developers need to recognize the version of the software and based on that version when a user clicks help, direct the user to the appropriate startup page in the appropriate folder.
Developers should not have to update anything once the initial startup page and folder are coded. You continue to update the documentation and overwrite files with updates. Do not change the startup page or folder.
Hope my response points you in the right direction.