Flare's Help as Webhelp

[Cal Wilson]

@MadCap

I opened the Flare Online Help for v. 10 from http://www.madcapsoftware.com/support/.

I was hoping to find an easier to use Help file than the Help file opened from within the interface.

The file that I opened is lacking in a number of areas related to usability.

When opened in a browser window, the help controls are of no use. The table of contents and other tabs are not visible. Only after resizing the window do some of the controls become visible. I supsect this is related to behavior of the the responsive output, i.e., the responsive output does not respond correctly to a browser window. All the controls should be visible in a browser without having to adjust the window size.

In my opinion as a reader, all the read more, expand spots, drop-down spots, etc., are a bother. I prefer to see all the content and quickly scan and skip what I don't need. All the spots slow me down because I have to click them to see if I need the information. The Help that I opened does not have a control that can be used to expand/show all on a page. Having that control would be helpful. I have used the control in other versions of your help. While I finding it tiresome to click the expand all control on every page, at least I only have to click once on each page.

[RamonS]

Hi! I'm not MadCap and if you want to write to MadCap directly use one of the options provided here:
http://www.madcapsoftware.com/company/contact.aspx
This is a peer to peer forum where folks try to help each other out. Folks from MadCap stop by on occasion, but they do not monitor the forums on an ongoing basis.

I do have two comments.

All the controls should be visible in a browser without having to adjust the window size.

As you already mentioned, the help has responsive output enabled and in that case it does exactly what it should do: drop the number of controls based on window size.

As far as the presentation of the content, the Flare help is one example on how to do things and MadCap might have chosen this approach to showcase the maximum amount of features.

[Nita Beck]

Also, if you prefer to use the "non-responsive" version of the web-based Flare 10 help, there's a link in the footer of the "responsive" version that will launch the non-responsive version (and vice versa). Otherwise, go here: http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare ... efault.htm.

To expand all of the collapsed stuff in a topic in one operation, use the Expand All button in the toolbar, right above the topic pane.

I agree that if you have feedback for MadCap's tech writers, contact MadCap directly. You can also create an account in the Help system that will allow you to post comments in the Help system directly. MadCap's tech writers do follow and respond to comments left in the Help system. To register, launch the web-based Help system (responsive or non-responsive version) and then, above the navigation pane at the left, select the tab that looks like heads.

[Cal Wilson]

@Nita Beck adn RamonS

Sorry for posting in the wrong forum. I have posted for MadCap often. I didn't distinguish between the two different forums. I will try not to let it happen again.

@Nita Beck

Thanks for the information about switching between the responsive and non-responsive versions of Help.

Could you tell me how to add that link to an output? I haven't seen that before.

I simply missed the Expand All button.

Thanks to both of you for your help.

[RamonS]

As far as I know there is only one forum and you are looking at it. No need to apologize, my note was more meant to be a suggestion to get you your answers faster.

[Nita Beck]

Could you tell me how to add that link to an output? I haven't seen that before.

This is speculation on my part, as I have no way of knowing precisely how MadCap's tech writers implemented the links...

Obviously, they have generated two different versions of the Help system and put them in different locations accessible from their website. I'm guessing they created condition tags for controlling what stuff will or won't appear in each version. I'm guessing that in the footer of the master page, they placed two links, one to the responsive Help system and the other to the Nonresponsive help system. I'm also guessing that they conditioned the links in such a way that the link to the responsive Help system will only appear in the nonresponsive Help system and vice versa.

I think it's that straightforward.

HTH