Importing Multiple Projects

[jamesp]

I'm evaluating Flare and am trying to determine how I can import multiple projects into a single Flare project. Is this possible? I'm using the non-Flare project import option, but it keeps wanting me to specify a different project or folder when I try to import a second project.

Our current help system has a master/slave scenario, where multiple projects are linked to a master project. From what I understand, this same structure may not be feasible or easy in Flare and that a single project might be best (mostly due to hyperlinking difficulties between multiple projects). However, if I can't import multiple projects into one, that will make conversion a big pain if we go with Flare.

Any ideas or guidance?

[KevinDAmery]

What kind of projects are you importing? RoboHelp? Other Flare projects? A directory of HTML files in a Webhelp configuration? CHMs? We need a little more context before we can make suggestions.

[jamesp]

Sorry that I didn't give enough information.

Currently our help files are created using XDK, which uses Word for authoring. We attempted to import the Word documents directly, but in the process, the topic headers were not recognized and imported. XDK converts the topic headers into something else other than text (not exactly sure what).

The next thing we tried was to import the projects hhp files using the Non-Flare Project import option. This works, but I'm only able to import one of these projects into a new Flare project. Is there a way to import multiple hhp files into a project?

[KevinDAmery]

Ok. I'm not sure if you can import multiple HHPs into the same project (haven't tried it, since my projects haven't required it). However, what you can do is import each into it's own Flare project then copy / move the files into one project. Flare doesn't use a database to track files, so if you copy an HTML file into a project then open it Flare can make use of it just as easily as it could a file that was originally part of the project. So, one option for you would be to import each HHP separately, then move the project files together. You would have to do some additional work to combine the TOCs so that all the topics were referenced, but other than that it should work.

A second option would be to make use of Flare's Global Project Linking feature. This allows you to import topic files from one or more Flare Projects into another project. You maintain the topic files in each separate project, but then can combine them when building your output. Normally, this is used when you have a project that contains common material that you want to include in multiple other projects, but you could also use it for the scenario you're describing here.

Finally, you can create a merged help system. This would be similar to what you have been doing before, with the exception of using Flare to manage the content instead of Word. Although you mentioned that you weren't confident this was the best approach.

Personally, I would combine everything into one project unless you need to deliver separate help systems for different projects or modules; if you do, then I would go the merged help systems route.