Projects - best practices

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IFU
Propeller Head
Posts: 48
Joined: Tue Dec 05, 2017 5:28 pm
Location: Vancouver BC

Projects - best practices

Post by IFU »

I’m new to Flare and Lingo and trying to figure out how to organize my projects. Is there a paper somewhere that summarizes best practices when it comes to setting up projects?

I have found these two posts very useful but could use more advice still.
viewtopic.php?f=40&t=29067#p127388
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=29678&p=129543&hil ... ct#p129543

I have a single product with four flavours. Each flavour has slightly different features. I am planning to use conditions to manage flavours.

I have multiple deliverables
- Four “instructions for use” (PDF files , about 20 pages each). Audience is end-user. Will be translated.
- Operator’s manual (PDF file, 150 pages). Audience is end-user. Will be translated.
- Procedure guide (HTML5 top nav). Audience is end user. Will be translated.
- Service manual (HTML5 top nav). Audience is service engineer. English only.
- Plus a dozen training documents, either PDF or HTML5, intended either for end-user or trainer or customer support. English only.

There is some common content between deliverables but not that much except for about 100 warning statements (I will use snippets for those) and a few images and a few paragraphs here and there.

Each document has its own translation schedule. In other words, the instructions for use will not be translated / updated at the same time as the operator’s manual. The translation vendor is encouraging me to send Flare projects as opposed to Lingo files but will accept both. I have asked to get Lingo files back (in addition to the translated Flare files).

I have set up a global project as described here. viewtopic.php?f=13&t=29678&p=129543&hil ... ct#p129543. That global project also includes snippets (e.g., warning statements).

But where do I go from there? My plan is to create these subprojects and import the global project into each.
• IFUs (a single English project with four PDF targets plus one project per language)
• Operator’s manual (English project with single PDF target plus one project per language)
• Procedure guide (English project with single HTML5 target plus one project per language)
• Service manual (English project with single HTML5 target)
• Training (English project with multiple PDF and HTML5 targets)

Finally, I will use Git for source control and I am the sole writer (for now).

Sorry for the long post…. Any thoughts? Thanks. Isabelle
BedfordWriter
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 217
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:13 am
Location: Nova Scotia

Re: Projects - best practices

Post by BedfordWriter »

Am in a similar situation here. Disappointed that there haven't been any replies to this.

I am aware of some Madcap webinars that address the question. https://www.madcapsoftware.com/resource ... aspx#lingo
I recommend Cris Steel's presentation in particular.
IFU
Propeller Head
Posts: 48
Joined: Tue Dec 05, 2017 5:28 pm
Location: Vancouver BC

Re: Projects - best practices

Post by IFU »

Thanks for recommending Chris Steele's webinar. Very informative. I see that there is an upcoming webinar on best practices for sharing content between Flare projects on March 1. Perhaps this will help as well.
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