help with Frame/WebWorks

["Mandy Wells" <mwells -at- valadeo -dot- com>]

Hi All
I?ve just started as the lone Tech Writer for a software company that
previously had their documentation done by an another company.  The previous
company did a great job with the documentation but the turn-around time to
keep the documentation in sync with the product was too long so the software
company decided to hire their own writer -- me.

I have all the files from the previous company in Frame 5.5 for the
paper-based and HTML for the on-line help.  I?ve poked around in both sets
of files and it looks to me like what they did to create the on-line help
was to convert the Frame files using WebWorks and then use maybe HTML
Workshop to create the final on-line help.  There are two crazy .h files
with the on-line help project: one that contains the ID numbers for context
sensitive help and one that contains the aliases for all the topics.  It
seems, based on my poking, that all subjects need to have an alias in order
for the ID?s to work..

I have just installed Frame 6 and the related WebWorks so I can now start
the fairly extensive task of getting the paper and on-line docs updated.  I
am somewhat familiar with Frame, having taken an excellent course a few
months ago, but I?ve never used WebWorks ? I have used RoboHelp to make
non-context sensitive help files.  I have a few questions before I jump in
the deep end that I thought the greater minds who have traveled before me
could help with.

So here are my questions:
* Would I be better off to update the Frame files and then create a whole
new help file, or should I update them separately by cutting and pasting
into existing topics and creating new topics only as needed?

* WebWorks doesn?t seem to generate the aliases or ID?s like I was thinking
(hoping ) it would.  How are these usually created, other than my method of
opening the .h file as text and typing stuff in?

* reading WebWorks help files, it doesn?t produce the Microsoft HTML Help; I
?m thinking this is where using the HTML Workshop came in.  Is this how you
would handle the creation of the final on-line help, or do you have another
interesting innovation?

Thanks so much for an advice you have to offer.
Cheers,
Mandy