When generating RoboHelp projects, the two most common layouts generated by RoboHelp authors are WebHelp and FlashHelp. Both layouts are cross-platform (accessable by most operating systems including Mac and Windows) and can be used by a vast majority of the world's computers.
WebHelp is a great choice for producing cross-browser, cross-platform Help systems. FlashHelp takes the concept of WebHelp to the next level by employing the prowess of Flash to provide visually stunning Help systems. FlashHelp projects will display correctly across all browsers and platforms, and Help components, such as toolbars, the TOC, the Index and Search, are animated. And unlike WebHelp output, FlashHelp layouts can appear in a vertical orientation, where the Navigation area is stacked above the Help content to save screen space.
Which layout should you generate? Having considered both, I much prefer FlashHelp. Why? Simply put, I think FlashHelp looks really cool. But that's just one Help author's opinion. Having cast my vote for FlashHelp, I'm betting you are licking your chops and will elect FlashHelp as well. Not so fast. First, you should at least consider using WebHelp. Why? Read on…
If you choose FlashHelp over WebHelp, your output will not be 508 Compliant. That's a deal-breaker if your organization is required to provide a compliant Help system. On the other hand, WebHelp output is compliant. (Of course, I've had more than one person tell me that that isn't 100% true, a subject for a future article.)
Even more important to the Flash Player issue is your ability to change the way WebHelp and FlashHelp layouts look when generated. While WebHelp can be easily customized using the Skin Editor (included with RoboHelp), you'll need significant skill using Adobe Flash (and the Flash Developer kit) to make changes to the way a FlashHelp skin looks when generated. Given that significant limitation, I think you'll be happier with WebHelp. Of course, Adobe could make this a very tough decision if they one day include a Flash Skin Editor comparable to the WebHelp Skin Editor in RoboHelp. But that is another RoboHelp version (or two, or three) away.
Looking to get trained on Adobe RoboHelp? Need the training quickly? Click here to learn about our live, two-day online RoboHelp classes (there's one more class this year… it's not too late to sign up).
Adobe/Macromedia RoboHelp has earned the reputation of being one of the most versatile documentation tools in the industry. It supports 5 basic Windows help formats, 2 Java-based help formats, plus 3 Web help formats including an innovative FlashHelp system. As well RoboHelp offers users 4 different development modes:
1 – Users can develop in Microsoft Word and with embedded commands and tools right in Word that take advantage of RoboHelp features and functions;
2 – the standalone version of RoboHelp that uncannily resembles Macromedia’s Dreamweaver such as offering both code (RoboHelp enhanced HTML) and WYSIWYG edit views plus dozens of wizards and tools;
3 – the server version has a client that duplicates standalone features but adds check-in/checkout, version control, usage statistics and greater WebHelp preview and debugging capabilities;
4 – because RoboHelp has such good import capabilities, users can develop in Adobe Acrobat PDF or Framemaker, Microsoft Word or any word processor capable of producing Office 2000 or later .doc files, or Visual Studio help files and then pass to RoboHelp for the pro features and finishing touches such as table of contents and glossary.
Adobe/Macromedia RoboHelp has earned the reputation of being one of the most versatile documentation tools in the industry. It supports 5 basic Windows help formats, 2 Java-based help formats, plus 3 Web help formats including an innovative FlashHelp system. As well RoboHelp offers users 4 different development modes:
1 – Users can develop in Microsoft Word and with embedded commands and tools right in Word that take advantage of RoboHelp features and functions;
2 – the standalone version of RoboHelp that uncannily resembles Macromedia’s Dreamweaver such as offering both code (RoboHelp enhanced HTML) and WYSIWYG edit views plus dozens of wizards and tools;
3 – the server version has a client that duplicates standalone features but adds check-in/checkout, version control, usage statistics and greater WebHelp preview and debugging capabilities;
4 – because RoboHelp has such good import capabilities, users can develop in Adobe Acrobat PDF or Framemaker, Microsoft Word or any word processor capable of producing Office 2000 or later .doc files, or Visual Studio help files and then pass to RoboHelp for the pro features and finishing touches such as table of contents and glossary.
Adobe/Macromedia RoboHelp has earned the reputation of being one of the most versatile documentation tools in the industry. It supports 5 basic Windows help formats, 2 Java-based help formats, plus 3 Web help formats including an innovative FlashHelp system. As well RoboHelp offers users 4 different development modes:
1 – Users can develop in Microsoft Word and with embedded commands and tools right in Word that take advantage of RoboHelp features and functions;
2 – the standalone version of RoboHelp that uncannily resembles Macromedia’s Dreamweaver such as offering both code (RoboHelp enhanced HTML) and WYSIWYG edit views plus dozens of wizards and tools;
3 – the server version has a client that duplicates standalone features but adds check-in/checkout, version control, usage statistics and greater WebHelp preview and debugging capabilities;
4 – because RoboHelp has such good import capabilities, users can develop in Adobe Acrobat PDF or Framemaker, Microsoft Word or any word processor capable of producing Office 2000 or later .doc files, or Visual Studio help files and then pass to RoboHelp for the pro features and finishing touches such as table of contents and glossary.