Framemaker & RoboHelp right-to-left text support

[tetard911]

We are just about to start a new documentation project, which will use the original source files from a previous project for a different client. The original project used XML files edited with Framemaker 10 (as part od the Adobe Technical Communications Suite 3.5) to produce the core documentation with conditional text to control which elements are used for the user manual and which for the help. The help was produced using Robohelp 9. Localized versions were then produced in French and German.

The new project requires deliverables in English and Arabic, which immediately causes a major problem because from what we can discover neither Framemaker nor Robohelp support right to left text. Consequently, although it will be no problem to localize the XML files, the question then has to be how we will be able to reuse them with Framemaker and Robehelp to produce the PDF and CHM deliverables in Arabic?

Any thoughts or experience with how to solve this problem would be greatly appreciated.

[Peter Grainge]

If you were using just RoboHelp, there is a method described on both my site and Willam van Weelden's site.

http://www.wvanweelden.eu/articles/right-left-webhelp

http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/right2left/right2left.htm

Willam devised the method with Pertti Metsanheimo.

Maybe you can adapt that method somehow.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[tetard911]

Hi Peter,

Many thanks for your reply.

In fact I had come across your information already but we do not have the possibility of delivering WebHelp because the customer is insisting on compiled Microsoft HTML Help. However, I will certainly use the information in it to help to find a solution. It will be very interesting to see how both Framemaker and RoboHelp interpret the source Arabic XML files.

I'll post the results when we find a workable solution.

Best regards,

Nick Lockie

[Peter Grainge]

That has the feel of someone insisting on a petrol engined car that runs on diesel. Good luck.

You might do better on either the HATT or Techshoret forums in Yahoo Groups. The latter is Israel based so right to left help is a requirement and someone might be able to suggest a different tool.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge