INTERACT FORUM
More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: LonWar on May 05, 2004, 06:34:14 am
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Hello, Is there any easy way to print the Help file? Or do I have to print each section seperately....
Thanks
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Click Options, then Print.
Select the option to Print the selected heading and all subtopics.
Unfortunately, that's the best you can do. There is no way with an HTML help file to select multiple books and print them. The JRiver documentation team (if there is one, if the Help wasn't written by programmers, way too common and always a bad decision), should at least have a PDF version of a User Guide either installed or available for download.
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Thanks,
It was Lise that wrote it, Maybe she will see this thread and have an idea,
Thanks
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Hey imjustagamer,
The help file is a Word document, that I output (using a program) to chm, html, or other formats. I can send you the Word doc, or I can create a pdf of it for you if you want me to send it to you. The pdf may not be elegant, and the graphics may not be great (in fact, they may not show up at all!), but on the fly, I can give you something. Let me know privately, and I'll give you the ftp site where you can download it. (It may be a day or two--playoffs tomorrow afternoon and all ;)
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The only way your could get the entire help flie to print would be to create a single, higher-level "book" and put all the existing "books" in that one. While that would work for printing, (a) it would totally defeat the purpose of providing meaningful high-level information when the table of contents was initially opened, and (b) the output wouldn't look all that great. (Yes, you could develop a separate .CSS for printing, but you typically want some conent different in you print output than in your online output. for example, screen shots are useful in printed output, but waste screen space online. Links, meanwhile, are useful online but are not needed in print.)
If you're using Word as your source, then you're not getting very "clean" HTML for the chm file. if I had to guess, I'd say that you're probably using Microsoft's HTML Workshop to create the .chm file too, which is definitely not the most efficient.
I have to say that I've found what I've searched for only about half the time in the help file. The content iself isn't that well organized, nor is it consistendly presented and worded. If I had to guess, I'd guess that someone on the programming team was tasked with writing the documentation. (My second guess might be someone in marketing.)
I realize you're probably not the biggest budget company, flying under the radar of companies such as Musicmatch (who get their product preinstalled on many PCs), but having a professional on your team, experienced in designing and devloping documentation, is critical to overall product quality.
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twriter,
Your assumptions about who writes the help file and how it is produced are wrong.
I have to say that I've found what I've searched for only about half the time in the help file. The content iself isn't that well organized, nor is it consistendly presented and worded.
Please keep in mind that the help file is only produced just before release--which means that during the beta period, people are looking at the previous version's help file. I believe that your previous complaint about the help file was during such a beta period. Now that v10 has been released, it includes the most up to date help file (but does not include any changes to the program made since).
It would be more helpful if you could point out what those searches were so that I could include the missing information. Also, if you can think of a better way to organize the content, I am always open to suggestions.
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Hey imjustagamer,
The help file is a Word document, that I output (using a program) to chm, html, or other formats. I can send you the Word doc, or I can create a pdf of it for you if you want me to send it to you. The pdf may not be elegant, and the graphics may not be great (in fact, they may not show up at all!), but on the fly, I can give you something. Let me know privately, and I'll give you the ftp site where you can download it. (It may be a day or two--playoffs tomorrow afternoon and all ;)
Hi lise,
I would love a copy of it in either word or PDF.
And btw - thanks for the help file - it works for me!
Graham
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twriter,
Your assumptions about who writes the help file and how it is produced are wrong.
I have to say that I've found what I've searched for only about half the time in the help file. The content iself isn't that well organized, nor is it consistendly presented and worded.
Please keep in mind that the help file is only produced just before release--which means that during the beta period, people are looking at the previous version's help file. I believe that your previous complaint about the help file was during such a beta period. Now that v10 has been released, it includes the most up to date help file (but does not include any changes to the program made since).
It would be more helpful if you could point out what those searches were so that I could include the missing information. Also, if you can think of a better way to organize the content, I am always open to suggestions.
Which assumptions?
If you wait until near release to produce the help file, then it is naturally going to be of lower quality, in large part because it doesn't go through the same review process that the program itself does: reviewing, editing, testing, etc. the best help systems are those taht are wokred on throughout the development cycle.
I don't memorize all the searches for information, especially when they produce no results, but i do recall looking for comprehensive information on the effedct of selecting certain advanced options and finding no details, leading me to do a Google search to try and find the information.
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either word or PDF.
Graham,
Sorry but we don't want to distribute multiple versions (at this time).
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I have to say that I've found what I've searched for only about half the time in the help file. The content iself isn't that well organized, nor is it consistendly presented and worded.
I have to disagree. I think the help file is great. Well done, Lise ;D
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Thanks for the kind words, Sauzee. I'm glad you are finding it helpful.
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You're welcome. Thank YOU.