User Editable Help

[dwag]

I'm new to Flare and was wondering whether the product provides user-editable help?

[KevinDAmery]

User's can't edit the help in the help environment. Depending on which output format you use and how it is installed, they may be able to edit the files (for example, if you build WebHelp the output is in HTML, so any HTML or text editor could be used as long as the users have the help system on their local drives). Having said that, it isn't a Wiki so users would have to know how to find the appropriate file and how to edit it in a way that would not break other functionality in the help system.

You could also look into Feedback server if you want a way for customers to be able to make suggestions or ask for clarification.

How do you see user-editable help being used in your case?

[dwag]

Thanks for the prompt reply. It's pretty much what I suspected. I write help for public administration software. The way customers use the software can vary; consequently, some have asked about the ability to edit various process writeups.

Thanks, again, for the response.

[Richard Ferrell]

I would recommend Feedback server also in this case, You can Feedack setup so that the user comments appear below your topic so your users could leave thier own processes.

[royj]

Thanks for the prompt reply. It's pretty much what I suspected. I write help for public administration software. The way customers use the software can vary; consequently, some have asked about the ability to edit various process writeups.

Ours is software for member-based non-profit associations, and our clients have also asked for the ability to add their own custom procedures and checklists. So we're working on a "Documentation Development Kit" (like an SDK, but for doc) that would help them develop their own WebHelp that would get merged into our Master set of documentation. If you're interested, I could share more about the direction we're taking.

[dwag]

Very much appreciate the insights and ideas. Will pass on the info to other interested parties. Again, thanks.

[ScottMartin]

If it's all right with you, Royj, I'd love to contact you about the same thing. We're converting to an on-line only help system for a product that sometimes undergoes modifications in the enterprise, and our partners are accustomed to producing paper appendices for the user guides. Since that will no longer be an option, we're trying to figure out a way that the partners can modify the help system.

I would love to ask you some questions about your solutions. Would that be all right?

[royj]

Well, the one client that was most interested in this has put the brakes on the project. Still, I'd be happy to share what I did do.

[ScottMartin]

Thanks for the prompt reply, royj.

Was your plan to help them develop their own HTML files to merge with your Flare-produced content? Did your kit allow for the editing of existing content? What can you tell me about your approach?

Would you prefer to do this off-board?

Any and all info would be appreciated. Thanks!

[RamonS]

It depends also on how editable it has to be. Maybe a wiki is the better approach. If it is about having a base document and users add to it, then Feedback Server may be the option to look at.

[ScottMartin]

Has anyone tried the wiki approach? Has anyone used or experimented with a way to create a wiki out of Flare output?

[RamonS]

At least for Wikimedia's wiki (the one used for Wikipedia) I don't really see how else to connect the Wiki with the Flare output other than by using hyperlinks. As far as I know a wiki system stores content in a simple markup language and then dynamically generates the page output at runtime (when the page is called). Me mentioning a wiki as approach was meant as a replacement for Flare output.
That said, it may be of interest to some to have Flare generate an output that is a wiki.

[ScottMartin]

Sorry, that wasn't particularly clear of me. I was wondering if perhaps the WebHelp output could be converted into some kind of a wiki, where the base topics, TOC, index and such are provided by us, but ultimately editable by the user. Such a thing might be useful for companies that make software that is modified and sold by "value added resellers."

I know there are some HTML to wiki conversion possibilities, messy as they are. I was merely wondering if anyone had wandered into that particular sandbox.

I will make the feature suggestion for output to a wiki, for what it's worth. Thanks!

[gmorgan]

Hi Scott,
We have found that a wiki type help system is what we need as well for one of our solutions. We have information we need to keep posted for developers and would love for them to be able to add their information in real-time to the front end of the help.
Have you gotten any further in your research for this type of function?
Thank you,
g