File tagging?

[lacastle]

Does anyone use the File Tagging feature? I just discovered it today and I'm not sure if it's just for Analyzer or multiple authors with one project. I usually put condition tags on my topics to know if i'm working on them, if i'm done, or if i have outstanding questions, but this might be easier...

Well, now that i think of it, i like to make sure my in progress or questions files are not included in my output, so maybe i need to stick with conditions.

[gmel999]

Hi - I used File Tags for one large project and found them helpful. I would find them more helpful with an additional feature. When you open the file tag for a particular topic, there's no way to add a comment or note that would apply only to that topic. I've suggested this to Madcap as an enhancement. BTW - File tags are for project management. They are not part of the compiled output.
Regards,
Mel

[gmel999]

Laura - to clarify my earlier reply, I'm using File Tagging within Flare V6.1, and I was just using it on the project I mentioned to track the status of various topics - for example: Draft. Review, Complete, etc. I was the only author on this project. You can do reports from Flare, but I prefer to do them from Analyzer.
Regards,
Mel

[lacastle]

Mel,
Did you ever use Conditions for project management? Or do you use conditions and file tags on the same topic if you want to exclude an unfinished topic?

I've been using Flare since version 2 and I never noticed this feature before now. Does anyone know if it's new? Maybe since Analyzer came out?

[Andrew]

File tagging was new in v6, I believe.

I have used conditions for "comments" inside a topic, but never for project management; I use them strictly for defining what does and does not appear in outputs.

I still need to explore file tagging; I've been asking MadCap for some means of coordinating with my team for a while. File tagging looks like it can do that, though it seems a bit clunkier than I'd hoped.

[wclass]

I tried using conditions for project management but found it too cumbersome, and so I have just moved to file tags (yes, they are new). I had created a separate condition set for Draft/Review etc but because I needed conditions for my various outputs, I ended up with way too many colours for the conditions to be useful to the eye.

I haven't been using file tags for very long but so far I like them - they are much easier for management than having to force an extra set of conditions on my project.

In my workflow, though, I don't worry about trying to exclude "in progress" topics. During updates I make changes to a working copy, not the final build, and I publish to a test area, so I don't need to exclude unfinished topics. In fact I often create skeletons early on so that I can test context sensitive help, so I want to publish work in progress. If I did need to exclude, it would make more sense to use my existing exclude tags rather than try to work it into the project management tags (part of why it was cumbersome I think). With file tags I like the fact that I can keep my project management and my conditioned output separate.

My current release has a few weeks to go - I'll let you know if I'm still happy at the end of that.

[gmel999]

Margaret,
I think you put it very well when you said:
"With file tags I like the fact that I can keep my project management and my conditioned output separate." I feel just the same way, but I'd still like to be able to add individual text to individual file tags. However, I realize that some people may prefer to use Status Condition Tags for project management, and that's cool...
Regards,
Mel