Handling multiple HTML5 outputs

[alexhill]

Hi,

The organisation that I work for require an 'Online Help' website to be set up so customers can access our help documentation. We have got the website (HTML5 Output) together in Flare with the required content etc... but I have a question regarding how best to handle multiple HTML5 outputs/targets.

For example, I want to set up a streamlined/automated process allowing us to maintain an internal/test/development version of our output, and a live/customer-facing version of the same output. This would allow us to use the internal site to test out new development work (eg: front end changes or any changes to the styling) and to upload drafts of documentation so we can view them online before pushing the changes to the live output.

The issue I'm having is trying to avoid duplication of effort, such as maintaining multiple TOCs

I'm sure there is a simple answer, but any help is appreciated. Also, if there is a much better way to handle this sort of scenario, I'm happy to scrap what I've done so far and set up a completely different process.

Many Thanks.

[ChoccieMuffin]

I think what you might need is publishing, and setting up more than one destination.

Because our process doesn't use Flare's publishing I'm not the best person to advise, but you can create separate destinations in your project and then in each target you can choose where it publishes to.

I suggest you set up the two destinations, and you might want to consider having two targets - one for your test output and another for your live output - so you don't then need to keep changing the publish destination in your target, to avoid accidentally publishing test material. Both targets would link to the same TOC, but you can use conditions on your material so that, for example, topics with a DRAFT condition are included in the TEST output but excluded in the LIVE output, and you can decide when to publish the targets. You might want to publish your test site daily, for example, but only publish your live target at longer intervals.

This section of the help describes the whole Build/Publish workflow, so take your time reading through it. This link is to the 2019 version of the help, I'm sure if you search for "Destinations" in the version of help for whichever version of Flare you're using you'll find the appropriate section.

http://help.madcapsoftware.com/flare201 ... Output.htm

Hope that gives you food for thought.

[NorthEast]

Using conditions will work (as CM suggested).

You can also use source control branches to handle this.
Create a "test" branch for the development work in progress. Then when you are ready to release, you merge changes from your "test" branch into "live".