Flare's Internal Help File as WebHelp

[Richard Ferrell]

Dear Propeller heads,

We have the following link to Flare's Help help file, this is the WebHelp version and does include Feedback enabled.

V7 -
http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare7/Default.htm

V8 -
http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare8/Default.htm

[tomjohnson1492]

I'm impressed with the integration of the comments and the ability to post comments on topics. But now I'm wondering when I should post questions to this user forum, and when I should ask them directly within the help?

[doc_guy]

Here's the deal: the problem with posting questions in the topics themselves is that unless you are an administrator for the Flare project, you can't see all the pending questions/comments on the topics. They are only viewable to the public after they have been approved by somebody in Support. (Not that all Flare projects would have to be designed this way, but this is how MadCap has theirs designed.)

So, if you post a question on a topic proper, you may get an answer from Support. Other users who open that topic and have comments enabled will also see the thread, but the rest of us can't do a search and see what new questions or comments are available.

If you want an answer from the community, you probably should post in the forums. If you have feedback or questions about the help topic itself, then you should probably post that in the comments. Or if you have an addition to the info in the comments you think would be helpful, then you should add that as a comment to the topic as well.

Does that help?

[tomjohnson1492]

Thanks for the distinction. On a follow-up note, don't you think that the integration of this user forum with the comments that take place within the online help is something that needs to be unified via a search? Right now I can search the online help or this user forum, but a better solution would be to have the search encompass both sources. Is that possible?

[doc_guy]

That seems like it would be quite useful. I haven't played much with this, but there is a WebHelp Plus output, which I believe allows you to search for content outside the Flare project (but I'm not sure how this works, or how well it works).

The average Flare user who wants to search the forums, the knowledgebase, and the WebHelp versions of the help topics could conceivably do a Google search, restricted to MadCap's site. The following search, for example:

Code: Select all

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=importing+html+files+into+flare+site%3Amadcapsoftware.com&btnG=Search

(which is the following search, done in a Google search box:)

Code: Select all

importing html files into flare site:madcapsoftware.com

Returns results from the knowledge base, the forums, and several company press releases.

The following search: CSH calls for WebHelp site:madcapsoftware.com pulls up results from webhelp and the forums.

So, if you want to do this type of search, I think Google is your friend.

[tomjohnson1492]

Thanks again, Paul. I know site searches are extremely useful, so I'll try what you suggested.

[egag21]

Thank you!

[Richard Ferrell]

The Current version of Help file online is for Version 4.1 only, Version 3 is not online, you will need to use the Internal Help file for earlier version of our Products.

[alex]

Hi - the link above doesn't seem to be working anymore.

Try here: http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare5/

[Madcap Guru]

it worked for me

[rob hollinger]

All of our products online help files are located here:
http://www.madcapsoftware.com/support/

[schultza]

Thanks everyone! This is exactly what I've been looking for, 'cause I just can't stand how the help is broken up in "bits and pieces" in the applications. I wanted the complete WebHelp picture that included the Index, TOC, and Search features all together.

Anyone know why we can't just launch this from within Flare from the Help menu? Seems that would be more straightforward than having to know where on the MadCap site to go...

[LTinker68]

They're assuming everyone will use the built-in, embedded help. You could submit a feature request at http://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx asking for a link to the WebHelp-based version directly from Flare's Help menu.

[rob hollinger]

Here are links to each version of the help.

http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare8/Default.htm
http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare7/Default.htm
http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare6/Default.htm
http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare5/Default.htm
http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare4/Default.htm

[sdcinvan]

Here are links to each version of the help.

http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare8/Default.htm
http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare7/Default.htm
http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare6/Default.htm
http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare5/Default.htm
http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare4/Default.htm

And now there is also:
http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare9/Default.htm

BTW, 9 times out of 10, a Google search will result in Flare help for older versions (oddly? usually v7). But I love that all I have to do is edit the URL and replace the version number with "9", hit enter and I have the same topic for the most current version of Flare.

Very nice how all the versions are synchronized in this way.