Re[2]: Have QA compile the help project?

[Virginia Day <Virginia_Day -at- DATACARD -dot- COM>]

     Lynda,

     You didn't say how you create help--do you use a HAT?  Which one?  How
     structured is your help (all formatting controlled by templates vs
     manually formatted paragraphs, etc)?  The more structured and
     consistent your help is, the less likely it is that QA doing the
     compiling will cause problems.

     You can control your source using PVCS also--I'm piloting the use of
     it for print docs, and will test it with HDK files soon.  (I'm
     concerned about the .HDK file, but that's what a pilot is for.) If you
     keep your hpj, templates, docs, and graphics in PVCS, anyone should be
     able to check them out to the correct locations and compile.  I've
     compiled many times over a network without significant problems
     (except my nervousness).

     After some initial troubleshooting, this method should work.  Try to
     get extra time for yourself to "plan the process change" so you can
     determine what QA needs (the HAT license, to start with) and needs to
     know (so you can write it).  You might also need to change your
     process--so you test and verify your help file at a point that allows
     you to comfortably turn over the files at the end.

     Best wishes, Virginia


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Have QA compile the help project?
Author:  Alexia Prendergast <alexiap -at- SEAGATESOFTWARE -dot- COM> at Internet
Date:    11/11/97 3:18 PM


Hi, Lynda,

Here's what works well for us:

We develop and store our help source files in SourceSafe along with the
code. The build scripts call our makehelp.bat scripts, which build the
help--so, every time they (developers) do a new build of the software,
they get our latest changes. No muss, no fuss.

A.
--
Alexia Prendergast
Tech Pubs Manager
Seagate Software (Durham, NC, USA)
mailto:alexiap -at- seagatesoftware -dot- com

> -----Original Message-----
> I need reasons why the help author *only* should be doing the work up
> to
> the point of delivery.  OR, if anyone is handing over a
> ready-to-compile
> folder (mine's 480 files, 10MG before compiling, and one file, 780KB
> after compiling) to the QA staff, please let me know, and how well
> does
> it work?
>

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