Best way to share help files with coworkers for review

[apropsDUST]

Hi, Let's say I have a help file that I'd like others to review for content, etc., but those coworkers don't have MadCap Flare. What's the best way to send them a help document to look at? I'm planning to test out the 30-day free trial and want to potentially share some samples with others. Thanks.

[Nita Beck]

Welcome to the forums!

I assume that you'll be generating HTML5 help of one sort or another.

One way is to zip up the output itself and then, depending on the size of the zip file, either attach it to email or put it in a cloud folder such as OneDrive, Dropbox, etc. If the latter, share the zip file with them, so that they can download it.

Instruct them to extract the zip file's content to wherever they want on their computer and then to open whatever is the main .htm file. For example, it might be called default.htm (if you accepted Flare's default target settings). Explain to your reviewers that that will launch their default browser and load the Help system's home page or whatever you'se set up as the start-up page. They can then test drive the Help system.

Another way is to host the Help system someplace and give your reviewers the URL of the start-up or home page.

Do alert your reviewers that, assuming you'll be using Flare in trial mode, there will be random characters inserted into the content. This is how the trial works and the only way to get rid of the random characters is to purchase a license and rebuild.

[apropsDUST]

Thank you--that is helpful to know. This will need to be internal only, so the zipped file will likely be best, rather than an active URL.

[ktbCA57]

I need to do something similar. I have 2 formats and I'd like to send them both to the team for review to see which one they like better. I can demo it in Zoom, but want them to have a chance to play around with the navigational differences.

I tried sharing the index.html file from a shareable drive, but that didn't work. I then asked someone to download the entire output file from that location... and while the content showed up, the formatting different.

What am I missing? TIA.

[BedfordWriter]

If you're doing a trial of Flare, why not also do a trial of Contributor?

[ktbCA57]

The issue is now a non-issue as management changed their mind about needing to share the files. Thanks!