Introduction to Madcap Flare
An XML-Based Online Authoring Tool
STC-Heartland
Presented by Greg Wees
EnSite Inc.
gwees@ensite.com
www.ensite.com
Program Agenda
Introduction
History of Help Formats
History of Help Development Tools
What is Flare?
Flare Features
Why Choose Flare?
Who Should Not Choose Flare?
Flare Walk-Through
Development Environment
Interface
System Demonstration
Resources
History of Help Formats
Microsoft WinHelp (.HLP) - Based on Rich Text Format, this was the industry standard for
Windows 3.1 and Windows 95/NT. The popular Windows Help program (WinHlp32.exe)
was included with all Windows operating systems from Windows 3.0 until the Windows XP
operating system.
Microsoft Compressed HTML Help (.CHM) - Based on compiled HTML and other data
such as images and JavaScript. In 2006, this was the current standard available from
Microsoft as HTML Help 1.4. Originally, HTML Help 1.0 was released in 1997.
HTML Help 2.0 - In 2001, Microsoft announced plans for a wide release of HTML Help
2.0. This platform was developed by Microsoft and shipped in 2002 as the help format for
Visual Studio .NET, MSDN Library and Technet products; however Microsoft announced it
had cancelled plans to make the format publicly available.
Web Help – HTML/XHTML Help Consisting of a series of Web pages utilizing a Frameset
environment, Cascading Style Sheets and Javascript to emulate both the HTML Help
environment and the .NET Application Framework.
.NET Help – Help system similar to Web Help but utilizing the .NET development
environment and the .NET Framework for deployment in a “tightly integrated” application
environment.
History of Help Tools
RoboHelp
The industry standard until the early 2000s.
After RoboHelp was purchased by Adobe, most of the development team was let go.
The product became, in the view of many Help authors, “dormant”.
No releases were available for an extended period.
RoboHelp compatibility with MS tools began to erode.
Commentators in the industry began to actively debate the future of RoboHelp as a viable industry
tool.
Doc-to-Help
An alternative development tool attempting to bring in RoboHelp users
Subsidiary of Component One application development tools
Currently behind the curve in XML support
Unknown FrameMaker support
Madcap Flare
Former RoboHelp team leaders form own Help Development company
Release of fully XML-based Help Development tool (Flare) in early 2000s.
Quickly emerges as an industry contender
What is Flare?
Online ContentAuthoring Tool
XML-based content (to XHTML)
CSS-driven development
.NET-friendly, utilizes the Microsoft .NET Framework
Application utilizes the .NET Framework
Can output “.NET Help” format for integration into .NET Applications
Stand-alone tool or integrated Enterprise system
Madcap Mimic – (Software Video Capture)
Madcap Capture – (Screen Capture)
Feedback Server – (User feedback engine)
Madcap Blaze – (FrameMaker alternative)
Flare Features
XML Support Multi-Language Support
Pure XML content creation Fully Unicode content authoring enabled
HTML to XHTML conversion Double-byte support
Access to document structure Extended language support (Incl. Eastern European
and Asian languages)
Import Existing Content
Localized WebHelp skins
Adobe FrameMaker (.fm, .mif, .book)
Fully localized interface in English, French, German,
Microsoft® Word™ or Japanese
HTML
RoboHelp®
More Single-Sourcing Features
Existing HTML Help projects Single-sourcing images
Variables (re-usable text)
Generate Multiple Outputs Snippets (re-usable content)
Cross-browser, cross-platform Help (WebHelp) Conditional text
Microsoft® HTML Help (.chm) Easily synchronize with MS Word or FrameMaker
Help for .NET applications (DotNet Help) documents
Adobe® FrameMaker (.fm, .mif, .book) Single-source integration with MadCap Capture and
Adobe® PDF via FrameMaker MadCap Mimic
Adobe® PDF via Word 2007
Microsoft® Word™
Microsoft XPS via Word 2007
Microsoft DOCX via Word 2007
Flare Features
Ease of Use
Auto-numbering
Visual document structure display
View and edit multiple docs simultaneously
Command line compiling
Character and symbol library
Enhanced visual editor
Enhanced Search and Index (synonym terms in search)
Create embedded context-sensitive Help
Customizable style sheets for tables
Drag and drop table columns and rows
Single view of all content files
Color selection tool
View, filter and access all files from a single list
Why Choose Flare?
Development in step with the direction of IT industry/MS Devl
XML input/output
.NET environment
Can integrate with application development for Source Control/Team
Authoring with Source Safe/Team Foundation Server
Integration with Web apps/Web presence (XML/XHTML/CSS)
Strong Support and Active Knowledge Base
Regular upgrades and user-suggested fixes/enhancements
Good performer (compile/output)
Potential “Single Source” environment (output MS Word and
FrameMaker)
Why Not Choose Flare?
Satisfied with current tool
Not IT-intensive (environment not evolving quickly)
Cost concerns
Learning curve
Feature concerns
Flare Interface
Start Page provides
access to projects,
Getting Started
assistance, and
online News and
Updates
Flare Interface
Bar selected at
“accordion” menu
determines view at
left “explorer” pane.
Open documents
appear in right pane.
This view shows the
Content Explorer –
documents and
resources used in the
project.
Flare Interface
This view shows the
Project Organizer.
Help for Flare is also
available at the
accordion menu.
Importing Content
Whole projects or
individual files are
managed for import
in the user-defined
Import wizard.
Files may be re-
imported at any
time, and the settings
here will manage the
One or multiple files process according to
may be managed in the author‟s needs.
the Source Files view.
Importing Content
New Topic styles
from the source
document are
selected…
Importing Content
New topic options
are selected…note
that anchored frames
can be selected for
image conversion or
not.
Importing Content
Style sheet is
selected. This may
be an import or an
existing project style
sheet.
Importing Content
Styles are mapped
from FrameMaker to
the selected Style
Sheet.
Importing Content
Cross-reference
styles may also be
mapped (from
FrameMaker
“Heading and Page”
to a simpler
hyperlink style in
Flare).
Importing Content
Files are imported or
“reimported” to
replace changed
source content
automatically
without affecting
unchanged content.
Importing Content
Imported content is
converted to HTM
files named
according to
Heading text and
with CSS working at
the editor.
Importing Content
(Original
FrameMaker
Content)
Publish Destinations
Multiple FTP or File
(Network) locations
can be designated for
publishing of
compiled content.
Publish Destinations
At compile time, one
or more Destinations
may be selected, and
overwrite properties
set for the
publication.
Publish Targets
Publication targets
(Web Help. HTML
Help, Word, FM)
also feature multiple
user-defined
features.
For online output, a
“Skin” is selected
from various user-
defined interface
skins.
Publish Targets
Variables (including
those auto-imported
from FrameMaker)
can be managed and
edited at the Target
wizard.
Publish Targets
The Glossary can be
set to convert terms
to designated
behavior.
(A new feature just
added allows for
Style assignment to
force a term to be
skipped.)
Publish Targets
Advanced settings
provide for Master
Page designation,
Stylesheet medium
(print/non-print) and
Alias file (for
Context-sensitive
topics)
Target “Skins”
Skins are developed
for assignment to
specific Target types.
Separate skins can
be developed for and
assigned to context-
sensitive Help
topics.
Glossary
In-topic Glossary
terms can be set to
cause a popup or
expanding text, or
may be a hyperlink
to a separate topic.
Master Pages
Master Pages are
assigned to Targets.
A Master Page
provides repeatable
content and features
such as
“breadcrumb” trails
that will appear on
every topic page in
the output.
Note that Master
Pages are treated as
“content”, not
„project” items.
Master Pages
Master Pages are a
collection of
“Proxies” which
stand in for
generated content in
the output (header,
footer, etc.)
The “Body” proxy
calls the actual Topic
content from the
HTM file.
Master Pages
The “Breadcrumb”
proxy auto-generates
the breadcrumb links
in the output page
(based on TOC
hierarchy).
Style Sheets/Style View
Like Master Pages,
Style sheets are
managed for the
project at the
Content view, in the
Resources directory.
Style sheets may be
opened from the
Content explorer…
Style Sheets/Style View
…or in Topic view
by selecting Style
View, then Edit Style
or Create Style.
This will open the
Style Sheet editor.
Style Sheets/Style View
A new “simplified”
view of the Style
Sheet is available –
this allows quick
access to styles
based on appearance.
File List View
From the File menu,
a File List can be
viewed...
File List View
...and shared
Properties for one or
many files may be
set (such as Style
Sheet)
“Alias” Files (HH / Map Files)
Alias files manage
assignment of Map
IDs to Topics and
these “Identifiers” to
specific Skins and
Output (HH) files.
Opinion: more
cumbersome than
RoboHelp‟s method.
NO auto-generation
of Map files based
on Topic order.
TOC View
TOC features file
and folder drag-and-
drop functionality
(from the Content
explorer).
Titles are based on
Topic Title, may be
edited.
Topic View
The XML Editor
displays the
WYSIWYG view of
the topic. Note
imported and auto-
resized FrameMaker
anchored frames
with callouts.
The XML structure
is shown at the left
of the topic content
as a series of tag-
labeled “blocks”.
Topic View
The XML structure
“blocks” may be
selected and moved
to a new location,
edited for style,
transformed into a
code “snippet”, etc.
Topic View
The “Reveal Tags”
button shows a
variety of markup.
Here, the underlying
XML is shown.
(This is the same
topic as in the
previous slide).
The XML is directly
editable.
System Demo
Help System for Energy Management Software
Resources
http://www.madcapsoftware.com
Madcap Software
http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/index.php
Madcap Forums
http://www.madcapsoftware.com/support/flaresupport.aspx
Flare Support Items (Help for Flare, Forum link, Knowledge Base)
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx
MSDN – (CSS, XML, .NET info)
http://www.adobe.com/products/robohelp/
RoboHelp 7 Home page
http://www.doctohelp.com/
Doc-to-Help Home page