My client has finally decided that we will upgrade from Tech Comm Suite 1.5 to the latest version, just not right now (the decision alone is progress at least).
They also want to switch to using numeric map IDs for CSH (instead calling the path/filename which is linked externally to the application form name), which is how they originally wanted to call help. Currently I have a separate CSH paragraph style that lists the form name as well as xrefs to create the path and html.filename. There are often multiple such paragraphs within a topic, because multiple forms call the same topic. I generate a list of these paragraphs, do a little search/replace magic, and hand off a "mapping file.txt" to the developer. I don't remember how or why we came up with this as the best solution, but it's worked for several years now, so we've stuck with it.
I have read many forum posts to understand the correct process for using map IDs with TCS, but still have some questions.
- I understand (largely thanks to many of Jeff Coatsworth's posts!) that I should create a FM marker (instead of TopicAlias) and reference this in the RH project import settings. I think I should create one marker for each form linked to the topic, and use the form name as the marker text, does that sound right?
- When I import the project, RH will create numeric map IDs for each of these markers; I can provide this .h file to the developer. Presumably it will show the original form name and map ID# so the dev knows where to plug in the #s?
- Are these Map IDs then static from one version of the project to the next? If they change with each new FM>RH conversion, does the developer need to update something in each form, or does he just include the .h file (i.e. is it adding work to him if the map IDs change each time)? Is it better to have them provide a list of map IDs, then I use those as the marker text in FM? As a vendor, I'm removed from the developers and don't fully understand what they do to call the help files we send to our clients!
- One thing that may have initially spawned the current process is the need to identify the path since the FM>RH conversion creates a folder for each FM file in the book. Do I still have to somehow identify the path, or will the Map IDs magically find the topic? This is something I haven't seen mentioned anywhere, so hopefully it's not a totally stupid question!
- Since I'm stuck using TCS 1.5 for now, is it worth implementing these changes now, or is it better to wait until we upgrade to TCS 5 (or whatever is current when they finally say Go)? If it matters to this question, after converting from FM8>RH7, I then open the project in RH10 so that the output works in Chrome.
All guidance is greatly appreciated,
Laurie