Re: Anyone had problems with the Help in Doc-To-Help?

["Mike Starr" <mikestarr-techwr-l -at- writestarr -dot- com>]

I used D2H on my last contract assignment that ended a month ago. I 
evaluated demo versions of:

RoboHelp
Flare
AuthorIT
Doc-To-Help

and a couple other non-memorable HATs.

Given that I started with an essentially complete and well-structured Word 
document, I was extremely disappointed in how all of the HATs except D2H 
imported my Word document. D2H was the only one that actually imported the 
Word document without losing all of the screen captures I had used in the 
document (all linked into the document rather than embedded). Now one can 
disagree with my own personal style guide that allows the use of screen 
captures in online help documents but that was the choice I made and I 
wasn't about to take a Word document that had ~125 linked images and have to 
go through the whole thing after importing it into the HAT just to get back 
to where I was when I started.

I was also gratified to learn that I could continue to maintain the document 
in Word, which allows me to almost instantly generate high-quality PDFs with 
linked bookmarks, then open my D2H project and generate my online help file 
or web help just as quickly. This allows me to maintain my print/PDF 
workflow and use my tool of choice (Word).

I basically learned D2H by exploring and didn't resort to the online help 
much at all (as far as I remember). At any rate, I don't have any negative 
views on its online help. However, my thought on those sorts of things is 
that even though they produce a powerful and complex tool, they may not 
necessarily have a technical writer who's skilled enough to produce a good, 
solid online help system. One way many technical writers and help authors 
fall down on the job is in their indexing skills. That doesn't appear to be 
something that's taught in the degree programs and seems to pretty much fall 
by the wayside in practice.

All things considered, I've concluded that D2H should be my HAT of choice 
for the foreseeable future.

Best regards,

Mike
--
Mike Starr                            WriteStarr Information Services
Technical Writer   -   Online Help Developer   -    Website developer
Graphic Designer    -    Desktop Publisher   -       MS Office Expert
Phone: (262) 694-1028 - Tollfree: (877) 892-1028 - Fax:(262) 697-6334
Email: mike -at- writestarr -dot- com      -      Web: http://www.writestarr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Mantyla" <TimMantyla -at- nustep -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2007 8:06 AM
Subject: Anyone had problems with the Help in Doc-To-Help?

> I've been evaluating a trial of Doc-To-Help (D2H), and I'm having trouble
> with their online Help. A few examples:
>
> - There is no glossary of terms. (Ironically, this app creates a glossary
> for the online help it generates!) Terms I put into their "natural search"
> function, like "string," "unresolved link," are explained deep inside
> topics that have to be brought up one by one. The topic titles rarely
> reveal which topic holds the definition or explanation of the term.
>
> - It's very abstract in many places, and doesn't show examples how to do
> things in many areas, or callouts to point out what terms are being used
> where.
>
> - Many of the help topics have few pictures to show what they're referring
> to.
>
> - Help looks like it was written largely by software experts who don't
> always step well into in the shoes of the users.
>
> Are these deficiencies common to help systems for other HATs?  Which ones
> are best and worst?
>
> Is there another app that does things like Doc-To-Help, but with better
> online help? Has anyone used several Word-based HATs and can help compare
> them?
>
> Or could this be a sinister plot by the D2H powers that be to increase
> revenue by driving users directly to their training?
>
> D2H is great because it uses Word, my company's "native" app for many
> potential D2H users. A poor help system is a significant downside.
>
> Tim Mantyla
>
>
> PS: Would a user poll on the best and worst features of various HATs be
> useful to you?
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
> printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
> Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
> http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
>
> True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
> Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
> documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
>
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

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