MadCap Flare: The Definitive Guide

This forum is for all Flare issues not related to any of the other categories.
Post Reply
scott
Propeller Head
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:35 pm
Location: miami
Contact:

MadCap Flare: The Definitive Guide

Post by scott »

Hi everyone!
I'm pleased to announce the new edition (and new title) of my book: MadCap Flare 2017: The Definitive Guide.

This 465-page book covers Flare 2017's new features, including:
* Clean XHTML target type
* Dynamic preview pane
* Pinned images
* Pinned variables
* MadCap Central integration
* Build events
* File tag option in Add File dialog box
* Condition tag option in Add File dialog box

It also includes:
* numerous tips and tricks
* a list of top 10 "gotchas" when converting to Flare from RoboHelp and FrameMaker
* keyboard shortcut references by task and by key
* a guide to Flare file extensions
* a quick task index

You can use the book as a study guide for the Certified MAD test, and it includes over 40 practice questions (with answers). It's not a replacement for the Flare training classes, of course. I wrote it to complement the classes and to serve as both an introduction to Flare for new users and as a quick reference for experienced users.

You can view a sample chapter and learn more, including details about my other books, at http://www.lulu.com/clickstart.

In case you're wondering, it was written in Flare. :D
Last edited by scott on Fri Apr 30, 2021 10:30 am, edited 6 times in total.
Scott DeLoach
Certified Flare trainer/consultant - http://www.clickstart.net
* MadCap Flare: The Definitive Guide
* CSS to the Point
* HTML5 to the Point
https://bit.ly/2LQN11O

scott@clickstart.net
Certified MAD for Flare
forfear
Propellus Maximus
Posts: 766
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 3:37 am
Location: Jungle Jingles

Re: MadCap Flare Certified Test Review + Developer's Guide

Post by forfear »

cool!

A fully realized professional-print book done completely in Flare!

Was it output to Word first for the publishers?
If you submit your bug feedback request here, the more likely it'll get fixed or included in a future release
Open Utilities PageLayout Resizer for Flare/Blaze | Batch builder
scott
Propeller Head
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:35 pm
Location: miami
Contact:

Re: MadCap Flare Certified Test Review + Developer's Guide

Post by scott »

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to let everyone know that the book has been updated for Flare 7.

The new version is 343 pages, with 21 new pages covering:
* QR code support
* MathML equation support
* importing external resources
* applying table styles to multiple tables
* removing inline formatting from tables
* converting text to tables
* converting tables to text
* sorting tables
* tracking changes
* SVN source control integration
* SharePoint support

The book is still $32, but we are offering a special discount price of $27.20 (15% off) until May 5th.
Scott DeLoach
Certified Flare trainer/consultant - http://www.clickstart.net
* MadCap Flare: The Definitive Guide
* CSS to the Point
* HTML5 to the Point
https://bit.ly/2LQN11O

scott@clickstart.net
Certified MAD for Flare
scott
Propeller Head
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:35 pm
Location: miami
Contact:

MadCap Flare Certified Test Review + Developer's Guide V8!

Post by scott »

Hi everyone,
The eighth edition of my Flare book is now available!

The new version is 360 pages, with 20 new pages covering the new features in Flare 8:
* Links to named destinations inside PDFs
* "Sort as" index entries
* Meta descriptions for search engine optimization
* Curved borders
* Advanced TOC and index style properties
* Page layout breaks
* HTML5 (WebHelp 2.0) target type
* EPUB target type
* Sitemaps for WebHelp and HTML5 targets
* Ribbon UI
* Quick Access toolbar
* Accordion pane layout options
* Auto suggestion options

This award-winning book was developed in Flare. I'm happy to say it's the 9th book (and counting) I've written in Flare.

The book is still $32, and we are offering a special discount price of $27.20 (15% off) until May 1st. You can order it at http://www.lulu.com/clickstart
Scott DeLoach
Certified Flare trainer/consultant - http://www.clickstart.net
* MadCap Flare: The Definitive Guide
* CSS to the Point
* HTML5 to the Point
https://bit.ly/2LQN11O

scott@clickstart.net
Certified MAD for Flare
atomdocs
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 308
Joined: Tue Jun 18, 2013 3:00 am
Location: Eastern Seaboard, Thailand
Contact:

Re: MadCap Flare V9 Certified Developer's Guide

Post by atomdocs »

Hi Scott, I see that the 9th ed is available (2013 - presumably for Flare 9). Are there plans to update for Flare 10?
Tom
Flare 2022, Capture 7
Image
scott
Propeller Head
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:35 pm
Location: miami
Contact:

Re: MadCap Flare V9 Certified Developer's Guide

Post by scott »

Absolutely--thanks for asking!

We give everyone about a month after a release to become certified before we update the test. So, the book will be out in about a month--just in time for MadWorld.
Scott DeLoach
Certified Flare trainer/consultant - http://www.clickstart.net
* MadCap Flare: The Definitive Guide
* CSS to the Point
* HTML5 to the Point
https://bit.ly/2LQN11O

scott@clickstart.net
Certified MAD for Flare
atomdocs
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 308
Joined: Tue Jun 18, 2013 3:00 am
Location: Eastern Seaboard, Thailand
Contact:

Re: MadCap Flare V9 Certified Developer's Guide

Post by atomdocs »

Thanks Scott. Looking forward to the new edition. My goal is to become certified this year.
Tom
Flare 2022, Capture 7
Image
scott
Propeller Head
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:35 pm
Location: miami
Contact:

Re: New Edition: MadCap Flare Developer's Guide

Post by scott »

Hi everyone,
MadCap Flare V11 Developer's Guide is now available!

This 435+ page book covers Flare V11's new features, including:
* importing Doc-to-Help projects
* inserting YouTube or Vimeo videos
* inserting 3D models and Augmented Reality scenarios
* stitching PDFs
* using the "Top Navigation" HTML5 skin design
* integrating Flare with Git
* using the Quick Launch bar
* creating macros
* adding and customizing keyboard shortcuts

It also includes:
* numerous tips and tricks
* a list of top 10 "gotchas" when converting to Flare from RoboHelp and FrameMaker
* keyboard shortcut references by task and by key
* a guide to Flare file extensions
* a quick task index

It's written for anyone who is new to Flare, migrating from Word, FrameMaker, or Doc-to-Help, or studying for the certification test. It's still only $32, and there are usually coupons available at the site: http://www.lulu.com/clickstart
Scott DeLoach
Certified Flare trainer/consultant - http://www.clickstart.net
* MadCap Flare: The Definitive Guide
* CSS to the Point
* HTML5 to the Point
https://bit.ly/2LQN11O

scott@clickstart.net
Certified MAD for Flare
jbkalla
Propeller Head
Posts: 57
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2012 11:53 am
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Contact:

Re: New Edition: MadCap Flare Developer's Guide

Post by jbkalla »

scott wrote:Hi everyone,
MadCap Flare V11 Developer's Guide is now available! ...
Thanks! Purchased! :)
Paulie
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 140
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2015 3:01 pm

Re: New Edition: MadCap Flare Developer's Guide

Post by Paulie »

Thanks. I've been waiting for this! The book has been ordered.
"In an ideal world, software should be simple, well designed, and completely intuitive to end users. In the real world, good documentation is king."
ChoccieMuffin
Senior Propellus Maximus
Posts: 2630
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 8:01 am
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: New Edition: MadCap Flare Developer's Guide

Post by ChoccieMuffin »

Me too. There are so many things this program can do that I don't know about.
Started as a newbie with Flare 6.1, now using Flare 2023.
Report bugs at http://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx.
Request features at https://www.madcapsoftware.com/feedback ... quest.aspx
mwmartz
Propeller Head
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:51 pm
Location: Around and about Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Re: New Edition: MadCap Flare Developer's Guide

Post by mwmartz »

Great - just ordered it! Been a Flare fan since V3. :-)
Dee Vincent-Day
Propeller Head
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 7:39 am
Location: York, North Yorkshire, England

Re: New Edition: MadCap Flare Developer's Guide

Post by Dee Vincent-Day »

Scott,

I would like your book but there appears to be no epub or kindle option. Is there anywhere I can buy an electronic version of the book?


Dee
Dee Vincent-Day
Technical Author
Piksel

liberating viewing | Piksel.com

http://www.piksel.com
scott
Propeller Head
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:35 pm
Location: miami
Contact:

MadCap Flare 12 Developer's Guide now available

Post by scott »

Hi everyone,
MadCap Flare 12 Developer's Guide is now available!

This 450 page book covers Flare 12's new features, including:
* Designing responsive layouts
* Applying condition tags to snippets
* Applying condition tags to glossary terms
* Overriding variable definitions in topics and snippets
* Including tracked changes in PDF and Word targets
* Using runtime skins
* Inserting independent page breaks

It also includes:
* numerous tips and tricks
* a list of top 10 "gotchas" when converting to Flare from RoboHelp and FrameMaker
* keyboard shortcut references by task and by key
* a guide to Flare file extensions
* a quick task index

It's written for anyone who is new to Flare, migrating from Word, FrameMaker, or RoboHelp, or Doc-to-Help, or studying for the certification test. It's still only $32 (same price for 10 years), and there are usually coupons available at the site: http://www.lulu.com/clickstart
Scott DeLoach
Certified Flare trainer/consultant - http://www.clickstart.net
* MadCap Flare: The Definitive Guide
* CSS to the Point
* HTML5 to the Point
https://bit.ly/2LQN11O

scott@clickstart.net
Certified MAD for Flare
Perrorist
Propeller Head
Posts: 93
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2016 4:04 pm
Location: Central Coast, NSW

Re: New Edition: MadCap Flare Developer's Guide

Post by Perrorist »

I bought your book, Scott, as it was published in 2016. I found it well-written and useful. However, I found no mention of Top Nav, which I believe was available as a skin at the time. Was it covered and I've missed it?
scott
Propeller Head
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:35 pm
Location: miami
Contact:

Re: New Edition: MadCap Flare Developer's Guide

Post by scott »

Great--thanks for the positive feedback, too!

Yep, topnav is covered in the Flare 11, Flare 12, and the new Flare 2017 versions of the book. In the v11 book, it's pages 227-230. In the v12 book, it's pages 234-237. In the new version, it's pages 240-243. I'll post about the new version in a few days after MadWorld wraps up.
Scott DeLoach
Certified Flare trainer/consultant - http://www.clickstart.net
* MadCap Flare: The Definitive Guide
* CSS to the Point
* HTML5 to the Point
https://bit.ly/2LQN11O

scott@clickstart.net
Certified MAD for Flare
ekaren
Jr. Propeller Head
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed May 04, 2011 11:28 am

Re: New Edition: MadCap Flare 2017: The Definitive Guide

Post by ekaren »

I just received my 2019 version. I'm really impressed with the quick delivery of the on-demand printing.

Looking forward to reading about 2019 since I've been out of the loop for a few years.
scott
Propeller Head
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:35 pm
Location: miami
Contact:

Re: New Edition: MadCap Flare 2017: The Definitive Guide

Post by scott »

Hi all!

The latest version for Flare 2020 is now available. I posted all of the info here:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=32581

Here's the direct link:
https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/scott-d ... j4p9j.html
Scott DeLoach
Certified Flare trainer/consultant - http://www.clickstart.net
* MadCap Flare: The Definitive Guide
* CSS to the Point
* HTML5 to the Point
https://bit.ly/2LQN11O

scott@clickstart.net
Certified MAD for Flare
scott
Propeller Head
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:35 pm
Location: miami
Contact:

Re: MadCap Flare: The Definitive Guide

Post by scott »

The latest version, MadCap Flare 2021: The Definitive Guide, is now available. I posted all of the info here:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=33214

Here's the direct link:
http://bit.ly/ClickStart-books
Scott DeLoach
Certified Flare trainer/consultant - http://www.clickstart.net
* MadCap Flare: The Definitive Guide
* CSS to the Point
* HTML5 to the Point
https://bit.ly/2LQN11O

scott@clickstart.net
Certified MAD for Flare
Post Reply