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In my view, to deride them for the use of the word "impending" simply
because that word may be interpreted differently by different people
is unfortunate.
On the one hand, the fact that these folks were prime movers behind
RoboHelp is decidedly a mixed blessing--especially if the new product
were to exhibit some of the RoboHelp eccentricities. On the other,
they have had sufficient exposure to the concerns of users and what it
takes to get a product out the door and to support it in the field.
Personally, I am quite willing to give them the benefit of the doubt
and have signed up for the beta program. I view it with positive
anticipation, but would base no firm plans upon the finished product
until it is released and I have had a chance to test it.
I believe the plan for Flare is simply another sign that the entire
documentation process is tending further toward XML solutions. Like it
or not, that is where the field is heading--and, given the further
introduction of tools that will make it increasingly easy to create,
store, and manipulate XML files, I believe that it is better to begin
this transition sooner rather than later.
I also believe that Microsoft will be moving to an XML-based help
system, since they are embracing XML as a primary technology within
their products. In fact, I would not be surprised to see some sort of
XML help capability grafted onto Word at some point.
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