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Home > Training: RoboHelp training: RoboHelp HTML Best Practices
RoboHelp HTML Best Practices
Availability: Public or onsite
Course duration: 2 days (hands-on version) or 1 day (demo/selected topics version)
Hands-on: Yes (one person per computer)
Cost: Contact us for pricing
Companion courses: RoboHelp HTML In-Depth Basics and RoboHelp HTML Beyond the Basics
Other courses to consider: Developing HTML-Based Help: Design, Trends, and Strategies
Learning to use an authoring tool like RoboHelp HTML follows two primary tactics: discovering which buttons to push in what order to get the desired results (technique); and understanding and controlling the implications of these processes and results in your information product (design). The combination of these things - "best practices" for RoboHelp HTML authors - can make or break the efficiency of your online help system.
In this course, we'll look at best practices that affect:
- Understanding how RoboHelp Help "expects" a user interface to look, and controlling defaults and "under the hood" settings that can support or customize this user interface
- Making decisions about how and when to implement certain design features, such as multiple windows, browse sequences, and button bar enhancements
- Making decisions about how and when to use certain development features, such as templates and conditional builds
- Undertanding how much "under the hood" you'll need to know about to become an accomplished RoboHelp HTML author
- Determing strategies for planning and managing HTML Help and WebHelp development
Our goal in this workshop will be not just to understand how features like these work, but also to understand their implications: How do they affect the efficiency of your authoring process and the design of your help system? In particular, we'll explore the extent to which you need to "think outside" the box of help design. How much can you customize the design of your help systems to create a user interface that meets the goals you have set for your information product?
Notes:
- This course assumes a working knowledge of RoboHelp HTML.
- We will concentrate on HTML Help and WebHelp development.
- Outlines are subject to change without notice but will cover the same or additional content.
Course outline
Introduction to This Course
Part 1. About this course
- What does this course cover?
- A few assumptions about you
- Some resource recommendations
Part 2. Understanding the standard help user interface
- What does an HTML Help system look like?
- What does a WebHelp system look like?
- Can you change the standard designs?
- HTML Help as the primary source
- Customizing the standard user interface
- Understanding the supported help architectures
Project Management
Part 3. Planning and managing a project
- Choosing a help system output
- Setting up a project
- The goal of "consistent repeatability"
- The "begin as you intend to go forward" guideline
Part 4. Developing dynamic style guides
- The function of dynamic style guides
- Developing project templates
- Developing topic templates
- Project backup strategies
Part 5. Using RoboHelp HTML with other HTML editors
- What does external editor support really mean?
- Why use an external editor?
- Setting up external editor support
- Working in RoboHelp with external editor support
- Working in your external editor
- Importing and exporting HTML files
Formatting HTML pages
Part 6. Controlling formatting
- Why do you need to understand the TrueCode view?
- Understanding RoboHelp HTML formatting
- Managing table design
- Managing graphic files
- Various formatting tips and tricks
Part 7. Managing style sheets
- Developing style sheets
- Organizing style sheets
- Using style sheets developed in other HTML editors
- Managing stye sheets for WebHelp output
Developing HTML Help
Part 8. Customizing HTML Help system design
- The function of a custom interface
- The pros and cons of a custom interface
- Replacing the browse sequence design
- Managing the table of contents design
- Controlling Dynamic HTML design
- Other tips and tricks
Part 9. Managing windows
- HTML Help windowing problems
- Controlling the HTML Help tripane window
- Controlling HTML Help secondary windows
- Controlling windowing options outside of RoboHelp HTML
Developing WebHelp
Part 10. Customizing WebHelp
- What can you customize?
- A practical look at the browser issue
- A look at WebHelp under the hood
- Customizing the navigational pane
- Customizing content
- Using frames
- Using Dynamic HTML
- Developing modular WebHelp
Part 11. Developing context-sensitive WebHelp
- The goals of context-sensitivity
- Window management issues
- Methodologies for desktop systems
- A desktop case study
- Methodologies for web-based applications
- A "weblication" case study
- Design alternatives
RoboGURUs logo and creed, Copyright 2002, Work Write, Inc. Being a RoboGURU isn't a certification; it's an acknowledgement of excellence and achievement in user assistance practice and instruction. The RoboGURU creed and logo can only be used with the permission of Work Write, Inc. Permission to use the RoboGURU creed and logo is solely within the discretion of Work Write, Inc.
RoboHelp is a registered trademark of eHelp Corporation.
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