Custom Ouptut

[phanna]

Hi there,

I'm looking for information about creating a totally custom front-end for "web help" authored in Flare version 5. I'm working on a project where the traditional 3-pane webhelp look and feel isn't appropriate. The project team wants to go with a custom webpage type look with a search and not necessarily a traditional TOC (something more just like groupings of links that will take you to different toipcs).
The project team has asked me to do some research about desigining custom front-ends for output from Flare. The only example of any custom front-end that I've seen is Doc Guys' portfolio page here: http://paulpehrson.com/portfolio/Conten ... hrson.html

Has anyone out there created a help system that doesn't use one of Flare's built-in output styles?
Any ideas or thoughts are welcome!

Cheers,
P

[NorthEast]

The project team wants to go with a custom webpage type look with a search and not necessarily a traditional TOC (something more just like groupings of links that will take you to different toipcs).

You could easily create a WebHelp system and just avoid opening the WebHelp frameset. However, if you don't have the frames, then obviously you'd not have the search pane either, so you'd have to add your own search facility.

Although you wouldn't have a TOC either, you could still use both breadcrumbs and the Mini-TOC to add navigation links in the topics.

One thing you wouldn't be able to do is make CSH calls using alias identifiers; as these open the WebHelp frameset.

[doc_guy]

I think it is useful in this case to ask yourself if you are using the right tool for the project you are working on.

What is your motivation for using Flare if you don't want to use a standard Flare skin-type output?

For my portfolio, the motivation was because I wanted to have a single source for my printed and online portfolios. Using Flare I could generate a Web version and a PDF version to provide to potential employers.

Are you providing a PDF (or other "paper") version of your documentation? If so, then you should continue asking the questions you are asking. If not, you may find that Flare isn't the right tool for you.

If what you want is a traditional website, you may need to ask yourself if Flare can get you there, or if you should be using a tool like Dreamweaver. If you aren't going to present your help content in the traditional 3-panel Help frameset, then you lose out on a lot of the functionality of what Flare provides. You can use Dreamweaver with style sheets and javascript to replicate much of what Flare can do for you, but with less "overhead".

When I designed my portfolio, I ended up creating the layout in Photoshop, then assembling the layout in Dreamweaver, then copying the code to a Flare master page --- one more step that would be needed, except I wanted to single source my content.

My portfolio is the only non-traditional help output I've personally seen from Flare. While it is certainly possible, you have to examine the project to see if it is really worth you time and effort to do it in Flare if it isn't the right tool for you to use.

[alaltenburg]

My thought about was to make my portfolio on Flare as an opportunity to show a potential client that I am verse in the program. As well as single sourcing to have web and pdf versions.

[RamonS]

While it is possible to take the HTML files from the output and read the ToC files through custom code, I think the issue to look at is a different one. What caught my attention most was this:

The project team wants to go with a custom webpage type look with a search and not necessarily a traditional TOC

How did the project team come to that conclusion? Is it that some on the team think that would be cool to do or is that the end-users are asking for that? You are looking at a lot of custom design and coding work. So before diving into it head first I'd want to be very sure that whatever is asked for really works for the end-users. I'd make a mockup using a sample page or even just a slide in Impress will work.
Way too often companies happily announce the next big thing in UI design just to have end-users find it to be utterly dysfunctional. Best current example is the new task bar in Windows 7. Surely ritzy and glitzy, but totally unusable. There is a reason why help is presented in the tri-pane view for what feels like eternity. Users are used to the way it looks and works. When the users consult help the last thing you want to do is explain them how to use your new custom help system.
I may be wrong with my point of view, but I'd take this back to the UI expert on the team and have her/him conduct a survey of end-users to identify if the idea will really fly high rather than in your face.
Reminds me of the traffic light here in Sc'dy at one of the railroad bridges. Due to space constraints it is mounted sideways. The red light is on the left side, yellow in the middle, and green on the right. Although I understood the concept of traffic lights a long time ago this thing makes me stare at it each time until I realize that it is my turn to drive. I wonder how colorblind people deal with that. There is much to be said about things being always the way they are, even if that means they get boring after a while.