Possible to work with Flare 3.1 and 4 on the same project?

[i-tietz]

Hi there folks,
has anybody tried it yet? Or do the MadCappers know?
We are 6 tech writers working on a good handful of projects. Do we have to install Flare 4 all at the same time or can we still work on the projects using Flare 3.1 AND 4?
THANX!
Inge

[RamonS]

There were a few threads here that came to the conclusion that it isn't a good idea to do that, but it is also not totally impossible. The problem is in how Flare names the custom styles (see for example here: http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... f=6&t=7023). There may be other issues that come with it. I would see in which stage the projects are. If they are close to be done keep working in 3.1 and if they are new or not due next week make a copy and generate output in Flare 4 to better determine what needs to be adjusted if anything.

[i-tietz]

There were a few threads here that came to the conclusion that it isn't a good idea to do that, but it is also not totally impossible. The problem is in how Flare names the custom styles (see for example here: http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... f=6&t=7023). There may be other issues that come with it.

Good idea.
Since we don't use MiniTOC proxies in our projects we won't have THAT problem. Maybe the MadCappers could give us hints, where they changed sth?
Our projects are still fairly simple, because we transferred our RH projects only last month and didn't change much yet.

[RamonS]

In that case I'd go straight to Flare 4 with all of them. Eventually you want to do that step anyway. But, make a V3 capable copy of the projects just in case.

[LTinker68]

MadCap changed the names of some of their styles in the stylesheet, not just the MiniTOC one. If you open a project in v4, it's going to reformat your stylesheet to use the new style names. If you then open the project in v3, you're going to get errors because v3 doesn't know how to deal with those new names. (MadCap started using the pipe character, which while valid CSS, wasn't programmed into the v3 stylesheet, so it doesn't think it's valid.)

[RussGuill]

Maybe I've missed something but I don't recall Madcap saying that one should not go back to v3.1 after upgrading to v4.0. I've seen it first hand where the stylesheet gets blown away and it's a doozy. Someone could really hose themselves if they weren't careful.

This might not be such an issue if you had to uninstall v3.1 before going to v4.0, but since you can have both versions living on your machine simultaneously it could cause someone problems.

[i-tietz]

Maybe I've missed something but I don't recall Madcap saying that one should not go back to v3.1 after upgrading to v4.0. I've seen it first hand where the stylesheet gets blown away and it's a doozy. Someone could really hose themselves if they weren't careful.

This might not be such an issue if you had to uninstall v3.1 before going to v4.0, but since you can have both versions living on your machine simultaneously it could cause someone problems.

I've missed the point there ... are you telling us to maybe install Flare 4 but keep on working with Flare 3.1? Maybe I misunderstood - then explain it to me, please.

[lacastle]

Since we don't use MiniTOC proxies in our projects we won't have THAT problem. Maybe the MadCappers could give us hints, where they changed sth?
Our projects are still fairly simple, because we transferred our RH projects only last month and didn't change much yet.

I definitely recommend switching to only using v4 before you get too deep into your project and formatting in 3.1. I think the stylesheet is a lot easier in v4 but if you have too many [incompatible] styles from 3.1, it'll be a pain to figure out how to redo them all.

[RussGuill]

I've missed the point there ... are you telling us to maybe install Flare 4 but keep on working with Flare 3.1? Maybe I misunderstood - then explain it to me, please.

What I'm trying to say is that I don't recall Macap ever saying that we shouldn't open up projects that have been touched by Flare 4.0 in Flare 3.1. I like to use the latest version of Flare before rolling it out to the rest of my writing group so I'm prepared for any questions they may have. But in the move from 3.1 to 4.0 it sounds like I have to be more careful because if I open a project in 4.0, and then someone goes back and opens it with 3.1, we lose all our custom styles. I actually saw this happen yesterday, luckily it happened to only a sandboxed project that doesn't matter.

Since both Flare versions can live side by side on the same machine, and with Windows being a little unpredictable as to which program owns a particular file extension, I would've hoped Madcap would have been a little louder about this being an issue. Or maybe I missed that warning.

[RamonS]

I think it is not a clear cut issue to begin with. The differences revolve mainly around the stylesheet and in there only for specific styles that were renamed. If none of these styles are used in a project (yet) it may very well be OK to use it in both 3.1 and 4. I looked in the release notes and couldn't find a list of styles that changed name. Maybe MadCap can provide such a list?

[i-tietz]

... and couldn't find a list of styles that changed name. Maybe MadCap can provide such a list?

I assent to that statement!!

[Richard Ferrell]

Version 4.0 of Flare Changes around alot of the stylesheet settings for Flare Specific styles such as Toggler, and body proxy, and other Madcap Styles, We do have a KB on rolling back to a previous version of Flare http://kb.madcapsoftware.com/default_CSH.htm#GEN1020F

Also any changes made to a Target in v4.0 will not work in v3.1 you may need to create a new target in 3.1. If you have created a new Pagelayour in v4.0 this will not work in v3.1

[NorthEast]

Hi there folks,
has anybody tried it yet? Or do the MadCappers know?
We are 6 tech writers working on a good handful of projects. Do we have to install Flare 4 all at the same time or can we still work on the projects using Flare 3.1 AND 4?
THANX!
Inge

- If you all have licences for v4, then get everyone to install v4 it and just use that.

- If you have a mixture of people with licences for v3 and 4, then it's a bit more tricky.
Everyone must use v3 for any shared projects (people with v4 can have both v3 and v4 installed).
Those with v4 need to be careful not to open the v3 projects in v4 (I'd suggest they change their file association for flprj files so that it points to Flare v3).

AFAIK, you can fix a project that has been opened in v4 so that it works in v3 again, but you can't set up a project so that'll work in both v3 and v4.