Can someone suggest a good process for me? My existing project is for Product 1 and it has three variations, 1A, 1B, 1C, each a conditional output. I need a new Help file for new Product 2. It currently has no variations but I do expect some in the future. About 20% fo the topics in the existing project will work for Product 2 unchanged. 60% of the topics have paragraphs that can be used for Product 2.
Should I just copy the useful topics into a new 'ProductSingleSource' project and then import them into a new Product2 Project? And then also import them into the existing Product1 Project replacing the 20% similar topics? That way, for future changes I only change them once for both products. Or is there a better method?
Thanks
Process for SS-ing from Existing Project
Re: Process for SS-ing from Existing Project
We have three main projects and another four small projects that share files and are in a database of a souce control software (MS VSS 2005). We also have a set of six conditions that we use for targets. Three of them are for one project only.
As you see we use both: conditions for targets and separation into projects.
And we also use a feature of MS VSS: "linking" files inside the database. We use that feature to link the shared files into the projects, but to have only one file in the database, means: If somebody changes one of those files and checks it in again, every project that contains that particular file gets the message that there is a new version of that file.
Only trouble working that way:
If I have more than one project on my local drive that contains linked files, I have the same file more than once - in different folders and in different projects, but the same file in the database. Then I have to be careful with changes, so I don't check in the wrong file. For that purpose we created a "standard" project that contains the shared files only. And whenever we have to change one of them we do it inside that project only.
Other alternative:
But something called "global project linking" is a Flare feature that also allows you to have a global project that contains the shared files and the "surrounding" projects which contain the unique files and into which you import the global one.
So actually you have a maximum of three components to combine: Source Control, projects, target conditions.
As you see we use both: conditions for targets and separation into projects.
And we also use a feature of MS VSS: "linking" files inside the database. We use that feature to link the shared files into the projects, but to have only one file in the database, means: If somebody changes one of those files and checks it in again, every project that contains that particular file gets the message that there is a new version of that file.
Only trouble working that way:
If I have more than one project on my local drive that contains linked files, I have the same file more than once - in different folders and in different projects, but the same file in the database. Then I have to be careful with changes, so I don't check in the wrong file. For that purpose we created a "standard" project that contains the shared files only. And whenever we have to change one of them we do it inside that project only.
Other alternative:
But something called "global project linking" is a Flare feature that also allows you to have a global project that contains the shared files and the "surrounding" projects which contain the unique files and into which you import the global one.
So actually you have a maximum of three components to combine: Source Control, projects, target conditions.
Inge____________________________
"I need input! - Have you got input?"
"I need input! - Have you got input?"
Re: Process for SS-ing from Existing Project
Thanks, Inge.
Ignoring any Source Control SW (since i don't use any), I think you are saying that you did create a separate source project (that you call 'Standard' and that I called 'ProductSingleSource') that is not used directly for any output, but which contain topics/pages/files/ which are imported into various other projects.
Is that correct?
Regarding Flare's global project linking; I have not read about it yet. Your description is somewhat confusing as it sounds like an endless recursion loop. Have you ever used this Flare feature?
Ignoring any Source Control SW (since i don't use any), I think you are saying that you did create a separate source project (that you call 'Standard' and that I called 'ProductSingleSource') that is not used directly for any output, but which contain topics/pages/files/ which are imported into various other projects.
Is that correct?
Regarding Flare's global project linking; I have not read about it yet. Your description is somewhat confusing as it sounds like an endless recursion loop. Have you ever used this Flare feature?
Re: Process for SS-ing from Existing Project
Yep.Sharpras wrote:Ignoring any Source Control SW (since i don't use any), I think you are saying that you did create a separate source project (that you call 'Standard' and that I called 'ProductSingleSource') that is not used directly for any output, but which contain topics/pages/files/ which are imported into various other projects.
Is that correct?
No. I read about it some time last year. But I remember that in each specific project you have to generate an import file in which you list the files you need to import from the global project. That's a job you do only once. Afterwards you just add each new file of the global project that needs to be imported into the specific project. And I remember seeing an option (in the target ?) to "always import files before building help" or something like that ...Sharpras wrote:Regarding Flare's global project linking; I have not read about it yet. Your description is somewhat confusing as it sounds like an endless recursion loop. Have you ever used this Flare feature?
But I recommend stuffing the imported files into a special folder in your project - just to make clear that that is the imported stuff.
AND: How you handle links between those projects and how you update links is something you will have to think about seriously: What if you change something in the global project that is OK for project A but (not yet) applicable to project B? Conditions are a tool to make things easier to handle here (project-specific or status-specific?).
You have to work out strategies and step-by-step checklists that you better stick to. Otherwise you will cause chaos.
As you see: Working with a global project is not easy - no matter whether you use Source Control SW or not.
Inge____________________________
"I need input! - Have you got input?"
"I need input! - Have you got input?"
Re: Process for SS-ing from Existing Project
Thanks. That helps. Good idea about a separate folder for the imported topics.
Roger
Roger
Re: Process for SS-ing from Existing Project
Hi,
I'm dealing with similar issues and found this thread to be very useful! Thanks for the info.
My projects used to be simple and now they are getting more complex, so planning ahead seems crucial. I've never "imported" from a shared folder. I used conditional text with "product names" to spit out the changes for each product and that seems to be a bad idea (because my projects are not too complex yet, I'm assuming I can recover from that error by reworking some of the things).
I also found this blog very useful for setting Conditional text:
http://www.madcapsoftware.com/blog/2012 ... cap-flare/
Rekha.
I'm dealing with similar issues and found this thread to be very useful! Thanks for the info.
My projects used to be simple and now they are getting more complex, so planning ahead seems crucial. I've never "imported" from a shared folder. I used conditional text with "product names" to spit out the changes for each product and that seems to be a bad idea (because my projects are not too complex yet, I'm assuming I can recover from that error by reworking some of the things).
I also found this blog very useful for setting Conditional text:
http://www.madcapsoftware.com/blog/2012 ... cap-flare/
Rekha.