September 2000: RoboHelp Version 9 is here!
This Help Corner column was originally published in September, 2000, and written for RoboHELP Office Version 9.
by Char James-Tanny
Version 9 is Here!
In this month's column, I'm going to discuss many of the features and enhancements in the new RoboHELP HTML.
Before I get started, though, I'd like to mention that there are probably going to be some things that you don't like about the new RoboHELP HTML. But— honest now— you say that you absolutely love everything about every software application that you run? Aren't there a few things in those apps that you wished worked a bit differently? (The one that first comes to mind is Word's auto-numbering feature.)
The TrueCode Editor has been totally revamped for Version 9. This means that there will probably be some "growing pains," as developers start using Version 9 and figuring out what works the way they want and what doesn't.
So, I'm asking for your patience as you start converting old projects and creating new ones. Should you run into trouble or if you want to make a suggestion, email support@ehelp.com and you should get an answer within 24 hours. Please don't send Help Corner your support questions, unless you can wait as long as a month for the answer!
The New--Greatly Improved--HTML Version 9
We deal with upgrades on a regular basis. It seems that every month we hear from another vendor announcing the latest and greatest software. And every month we deal with the same question: is it worth it?
When talking about RoboHELP HTML, my answer is Yes. The changes that have been made, combined with the latest service release, provide many enhancements that will make our lives as developers much, much easier.
Now, before installing the upgrade, please take the typical precautions by making backups. Also, most developers prefer not to upgrade while finishing a project. Do what makes you comfortable and upgrade when you're ready.
Here is my list of favorite features:
- An all-new TrueCode Editor. If you hated how earlier versions rewrote your code, you are just going to love Version 9! For fun, I tested the new editor with some heavily scripted files and, while the WYSIWYG view can't always display them correctly, my underlying code never changed. This is absolutely wonderful!
- Synching between the TrueCode and WYSIWYG Editors. Didn't you hate it in earlier versions when you had to toggle between the editors and could never find the right place in TrueCode? Just select something in the WYSIWYG Editor—character, a paragraph mark, a sentence— then click the TrueCode tab to locate it immediately.
- An improved WYSIWYG Editor interface. If you're comfortable with Microsoft Word or FrontPage, you'll be comfortable with RoboHELP HTML Version 9. A ruler lets you control margins and indenting, then the HTML tags are modified accordingly. The dialog boxes are more streamlined, with buttons providing layers of information for more advanced users (or courageous new ones who want to see what's available). You control the new spell-check options, including spell- checking while you type and auto-correct.
- New toolbars for tables and positioning. I've always thought the RoboHELP HTML table editor was one of the best available. In fact, as I've told some folks, I've often used the table editor in WYSIWYG view to create my tables and then copied the HTML from the TrueCode tab into my other editor. The new toolbar provides even more functionality, with icons for alignment and distribution options and full control for the border. The positioning toolbar gives you control of placement when using positioned text boxes (another new feature).
- Using other HTML Editors to create projects. As Ben Weisner of Weisner Associates says, choosing tools can be a religious experience. RoboHELP HTML recognizes any other HTML Editors on your system, including Allaire HomeSite, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Microsoft FrontPage, even Notepad. You choose which editor you want to use when editing topics, either on an individual basis or by selecting a default editor for all topics.
- Ability to add source JavaScript files. The Insert Script dialog box has been updated to include two tabs: Source (for your code or functions) and Tag (for attributes). You don't have to toggle over to the TrueCode tab to enter the source file any more! (One enhancement I'd like to see: the ability to insert the SCRIPT tag before the </HEAD> tag while staying in the WYSIWYG Editor. I know, I'm being picky!)
- Implementation of more Microsoft HTML Help Workshop features. The Window Properties dialog box includes a checkbox for window persistence (so that the .chm file "remembers" any changes made by your users to the size or position). The Index lets you create a cross-reference from a first-level keyword to itself, which means you no longer have to determine which topics to assign to that first-level keyword!
- Major improvements to WebHelp 4. I'll cover this in more detail next month, but until then: The resulting code looks great. The space at the top of the browser page that resulted from not using browse sequences is gone (and you don't have to generate WebHelp twice to remove it). The In-Topic Navigation bar lets you select from Auto-Sync TOC, Show/Hide TOC, WebSearch, and Browse Sequences. (The last two only display if included in your project.) You can select to embed the JavaScript in the resulting files or store it in an external JavaScript file, which greatly reduces the size of the individual HTML files. (One enhancement I'd like to see: turn on the Always Use Lowercase option by default.)
- Smart Publishing Wizard. This is a great feature and it works wonderfully! After generating WebHelp (or at any time for the Tools tab), launch the Smart Publishing Wizard to deploy your finished project to your server, across your network, or any place else. The Wizard lets you choose between HTTP, FTP, FrontPage Enabled, or File System as your connection protocol. You can check for deleted files and publish only those files which have changed, if desired.
- New Dynamic HTML features and selection options. I suppose I should admit that I'm not a big fan of Internet Explorer-only Dynamic HTML. (I also tend to find most effects very distracting.) That said, however, the new dialog box makes it very easy to apply a dynamic effect to your topics. Click to select the event, then select the action, and then modify the settings. In addition, expanding and drop-down hotspots have been updated. After selecting your hotspot, select the appropriate option and enter the dynamic information, which can include images, HTML Help controls, and bookmarks, in the popup window that displays. A new feature in Version 9 hides the dynamic information while you're in the WYSIWYG Editor, making it much more WYSIWYG.
- Reduced screen clutter. In previous versions, the full text of bookmarks and expanding and drop-down hotspots displayed in the WYSIWYG Editor. Now, bookmarks display as a small green flag and dynamic hotspots are indicated by the text style.
- Tips for hyperlinks, bookmarks, images, and so on. Position your cursor over an item and the description of the item displays.
So, what don't I like about Version 9? Not much, although I have found a few things:
- Custom colors aren't retained. If you create a custom color, you have to remember the RGB values when you want to re-use it. (The new colors dialog box doesn't accept hexadecimal color values, although you can use them in most dialog boxes, such as Format Font.)
- The WYSIWYG Editor always displays. In earlier versions, if you were working in the TrueCode Editor and changed to a different topic, it also displayed in the TrueCode Editor. Now, the WYSIWYG Editor always displays.
- The new New Project options need more detail. That isn't a typo— old New Project options, such as Corporate Intranet, Custom, Special Projects, and Online Books, contain customized style sheets and preliminary topics for developers to use. The new New Project options, such as WebHelp, Oracle Help, JavaHelp, and so on, have one feature: the Generate Primary Target option has been set to the specified output. (Actually, I always create HTML Help, no matter what output I'm planning on generating, because it's so easy to compile the .chm and see my project.) In addition, be sure to verify the generation options so that you get the results you want.
There may be other things that you don't like and I might even find a couple more. However, I can work around these problems-just like I work around problems in many of the other applications I use. For example, I create one style sheet that has all my settings, then use Windows Explorer to copy and rename it. After assigning the style sheet to a topic, I make any other changes (such as changing the background). This means that I don't have to start from scratch or worry that I didn't set a style correctly.
Copyright © 2000 Char James-Tanny.
