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Subject:Re: field-level help with FrameMaker and WebWorks From:"Bill Swallow" <techcommdood -at- gmail -dot- com> To:hokumhome -at- freehomepage -dot- com Date:Fri, 24 Mar 2006 12:36:19 -0500
> I've created online help using FrameMaker/WebWorks (F/W) before. I've also created field-level help using other tools, but not the F/W combo. I'm just starting to look into doing this. I've read the help and it's all fine and dandy, but I have a few questions about creating field-level help with the WebWork Help template, such as can it be done?
>
> I read over the information about context-sensitive help, but it seems like a major hassle to open the entire help system (even if it's just opening a topic in the topic-only view) to look at the information for a single field. What I was envisioning was something akin to "What's This" help. Can this be done with F/W.
Absolutely. Open your online Help for WWP, go to the index, and key in
"What" and you will get the topics you need to help you implement
What's This? Help.
> Also, if I have a bunch of fields that I need to describe; do I put these descriptions in a separate file? As a separate project?
The Help should detail this. Basically, you can use one file for all
of them or use them throughout your project. There's a paragraph
format you'll need to use in FM and WWP to accomplish this.
> If everything is set up right, is F/W smart enough to realize that I don't want these field-level descriptions as topics in the help system but still generate their output files?
It's been a while since I've used What's This? Help via WWP but I
believe the topics, if set up correctly using the custom marker and
paragraph tag, will not display except as What's This? Help topics
(popup help).
> Should I be thinking about approaching this differently? Perhaps have two systems, one for online help (using the WebWorks help template) and another just for the field-level help (using, for example, the HTML Help template)? Go with simple HTML pages? In the past, I've done something similar to this.
What's This? Help is bare-bones formatted popup help. You shouldn't
need to do this seperately. If you're looking for more robust topics,
you cna do that in WWP as well and set them as separate topics but be
warned that the entire Help system will be displayed.
> As I mentioned, I'm just starting to look into field-level help using F/W. So, any pointers and links would be appreciated.
--
Bill Swallow
HATT List Owner
WWP-Users List Owner
Senior Member STC, TechValley Chapter http://techcommdood.blogspot.com
============================
I support Char James-Tanny for STC Secretary.
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