WebWorks Publisher

[Craig Sanders <csanders -at- ONLYXLNT -dot- COM>]

Hi, Paul!

I can understand your frustration in not being able to visualize what
the converted HTML or WinHelp output will look like after converting a
Frame file. Using Publisher does imply that you have some knowledge of
how HTML docs are coded, and to a lesser extent, WinHelp as well.
Unfortunately, including an advanced text on HTML and WinHelp/RTF coding
is probably not practical to include within the Publisher documentation.

They (Quadralay) are, however, currently reviewing their supporting
docs, so perhaps at least a tutorial might be included in the next
revision.

Insofar as the time it takes to do the actual mapping: it is not trivial
if you are doing it for the first time and want to use anything but the
templates included with the application. However, the saving grace is
that, barring changes in your Frame styles, this is essentially a
one-time effort. Subsequent conversions are largely automated, since
Publisher "remembers" previous mappings and automatically applies them
to Frame styles when it encounters them again. I have used Publisher
extensively for both bulk conversions (12K pages and more) and for
periodic conversions in a typical technical pubs environment, all with
good success.

Regarding your comments about Frame "bombing,", I would like to hear
some more about that. There were some problems in early versions of
Publisher, but I haven't encountered a fatal crash since Publisher
version 3.0, and have used it with Frame 4.0, 5.0, 5.1, 5.1.1, 5.5,
5.5.1, and the latest, 5.5.2 with no problems.

Hope this helps,
Craig Sanders

--


"We do not see things as they are...
we see things as we are."
 -Anais Nin