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Auntie_Em-Pam
Auntie_Em-Pam
Known Participant
August 25, 2015
Question

RH2011 - Is there a way to branch for multiple versions?

  • August 25, 2015
  • 1 reply
  • 714 views

Hi,

I have this enourmous user guide that is now going to get bigger. It will have several versions; all versions will have common topics and all versions will have topics unique to specific users. Now, instead of creating another project and having to manage multiple users guides, is there a way I can create several users guides in one?

  • I would like to be able to edit a topic in one version and have it automatically update the topic in another version.
  • If RH does not have this capability, what is the easiest way to go about this? I've just been told I may have several different versions of this user guide by next year, some in different languages.

I haven't updated to 2015 yet as I have a pressing deadline coming up and I don't want to deal with any bugs right now until I research what 2015 has to offer.

I start the new version of this project next week, so any quick advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Pam

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1 reply

Captiv8r
Captiv8r
Legend
August 25, 2015

Hi Pam

When you say "several versions", do you mean that you will be creating different outputs that perhaps ship with each version? If so, you need to investigate using Conditional Build Tags. Using Conditional Tagging, you tag content and later produce an output that only contains the content you want and leaves the rest out.

If all versions will be using the same help system, you might instead opt for Merged help. With Merged Help, you create a master project and it has a Merged Projects folder where you insert outputs from other individual projects.

Cheers... Rick

Auntie_Em-Pam
Auntie_Em-PamAuthor
Known Participant
August 26, 2015

Thanks Rick,

Let me explain further. The user guide is for an app that creates reports based on data analysis. Company A has access to 12 reports. Company B has access to 5 of those reports plus 2 reports that Company A does not have access to. You still with me? So some topics are shared and some are not.

When these users log on to the app, they will see the user guide that pertains to their role / company only. Hence I am creating user guides for each company. These are all online (HTML5), no printed versions get shipped. So I need to create user guides for the same app, but specific users see a different user guide.

At this point in time I have a big release next Monday. Then at the end of Sept, I am supposed to have both user guide versions completed for another release. Not enough time if you ask me.

As I have only been working with RH since last year, I am still somewhat of a novice. I don't know how to do conditional tagging or merged help. I would need to sit and learn this, which is no problem except for time constraints.

What's your best suggestion here? Maybe take a vacation?

Thanks again!

Pam

Peter Grainge
Community Expert
Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 26, 2015

I think both of Rick's suggestions would work just fine for you but my preference would be merged help. There is a free full tutorial on my site that both explains when to use merged help and how to set it up.

Doing so for next Monday might be a bit ambitious though.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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