Using Wordpress for online help

This forum is for discussions on the Help & Manual Premium Pack and the Premium Pack Toolbox configuration utility introduced with Premium Pack 3

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Suzette Seveny
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Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 2:44 pm
Location: Ontario Canada

Using Wordpress for online help

Unread post by Suzette Seveny »

I see there's a WordPress plug in now and we're very interested in using it to create documentation for some new products.

Can anyone share with me examples of their online documentation using WordPress? I'd have to learn more about Wordpress of course, but it would help me continue to use H&M for the documentation for our new products.
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Tim Green
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Re: Using Wordpress for online help

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Suzette,

FYI, you can see the details about this plugin here in the Premium Pack help:

http://www.it-authoring.com/info/pp3hel ... press.html
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Suzette Seveny
Posts: 90
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 2:44 pm
Location: Ontario Canada

Re: Using Wordpress for online help

Unread post by Suzette Seveny »

Thanks Tim, I have read most of that. I'm a visual learner though, so I was really hoping someone would show me what they were doing with H&M and WP. Reading without visualizing the end result doesn't work for me.

I've received private messages in response to my post, asking for me to share my success story and show how I'm using it. Obviously, I have nothing to share or I wouldn't be asking, but that raises a valid point - there's obviously other users out there who want the same thing I do. Any plans to create any tutorials? Is there an opportunity to have a "showcase" of success stories (doesn't just have to be WordPress).

We've had consultants in who have suggested WordPress for our online help. I'd like to continue to use H&M to create that help if possible. I know I keep saying how I don't have a lot of time to learn, but I'm really not exaggerating - I'm a lone technical writer with about 12 online help systems (including user and reference PDF guides) to maintain and an annual release cycle, and two large new and exciting software projects to create documentation for. In addition to other projects. I need a simple solution because I can't take weeks out of production to learn a new system.
Suzette Seveny
Posts: 90
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 2:44 pm
Location: Ontario Canada

Re: Using Wordpress for online help

Unread post by Suzette Seveny »

I admit to getting excited when I saw I had private messages - hoping that someone was out there to give me pointers or help, only to have my optimism defeated by someone asking for my help on the same topic. Still hoping though, in case anyone would like to help me out!
dreesor
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Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:34 pm
Location: Edmonton, Canada

Re: Using Wordpress for online help

Unread post by dreesor »

Hey Tim

Thanks for the WP plugin! I successfully installed it this afternoon, and it is up and running on a page on my site. Combined with my membership plugin, I think it is going to do all I need - deliver the manual securely.

Two questions...

1. I cannot locate the exact location to edit EMBEDDED_SHOWHELP variable in the skin using the PP Toolbox. As the button for the manual appears on my WP page, and there is no activity when it is clicked, this must be the problem that the names are not matching as is mentioned in the help manual. As the manual states, "The variable is in the General Settings variables section when you edit the skin with PP Toolbox." I cannot locate the general settings.
2. Is it possible to display more than one manual with this WP Plug on the site. Configuration of the widget with the absolute path to the manual in a folder on my site (wp-content/vt_man) would appear I can only use the widget for a single manual.

The WP feature is well worth the wait.
Thanks again Tim.
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Tim Green
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Re: Using Wordpress for online help

Unread post by Tim Green »

@Dreesor,
1. I cannot locate the exact location to edit EMBEDDED_SHOWHELP variable in the skin using the PP Toolbox.
Open the skin with Toolbox, then click on the Variables button (it's actually selected by default when you open). Then if you look at the dropdown list under the Edit: Skin configuration variables heading click there and select the General Settings section. There you will find the EMBEDDED_SHOWHELP and EMBEDDED_HIDEHELP variables with the text to be displayed for showing and hiding the help
2. Is it possible to display more than one manual with this WP Plug on the site. Configuration of the widget with the absolute path to the manual in a folder on my site (wp-content/vt_man) would appear I can only use the widget for a single manual.
Currently it's only configurable for a single manual. We'll look into changing that in the future. 8)

@Suzette:
I'm a lone technical writer with about 12 online help systems (including user and reference PDF guides) to maintain and an annual release cycle, and two large new and exciting software projects to create documentation for. In addition to other projects. I need a simple solution because I can't take weeks out of production to learn a new system.
In that case I wouldn't recommend switching to WordPress at the moment. As explained above, you can currently only manage a single WebHelp with the included plugin. That would mean you'd have to do all your authoring outside of Help+Manual, directly for WordPress, which would also mean finding a way to generate the PDF versions as well. If you don't have a streamlined way of doing that for all your manuals from the get-go that would definitely be a lot of extra work. :?
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
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Tim Green
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Re: Using Wordpress for online help

Unread post by Tim Green »

Some background on the WordPress plugin: When I developed it, it was really experimental because there was almost no demand for it and only a couple of people used it. Now interest seems to be increasing, which is nice, so I'm going to look at expanding and deepening the support and integration. Unfortunately, piracy levels for the Premium Pack are now so high for it that it's becoming increasingly difficult to justify spending time on it. :?
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
dreesor
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Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:34 pm
Location: Edmonton, Canada

Re: Using Wordpress for online help

Unread post by dreesor »

Hi Tim

Thanks for the speedy reply.
Then if you look at the dropdown list under the Edit: Skin configuration variables heading click there and select the General Settings section.
Please bear with me as I configure the WP plugin installation. From the attached image I just cannot locate the general settings tab. http://www.icwinstitute.com/images/skin_edits.jpg

BTW: once I have the manual embedded in a WP page, and working, I intend to test the interoperability between Amazon s3 and the plugin by configuring the plugin to call the manual from Amazon. I can report back as I believe this will reduce the potential of increased web hosting costs by installing the manual on my web server.
Unfortunately, piracy levels for the Premium Pack are now so high for it that it's becoming increasingly difficult to justify spending time on it.
I am sorry to read this! People's lack of professionalism so often deters the creativity of good people. For those of us who wish to integrate HM with WP, thank you for your efforts. I would be interested to see when the plugin will manage more than one instance of a manual on a WP site. For me, this would be a significant additional benefit, however, in the case of individual client content, delivering their content on separate sites would work.
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Tim Green
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Re: Using Wordpress for online help

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Dreesor,
From the attached image I just cannot locate the general settings tab.
Oops! You're using one of the older V2 WebHelp skins. That won't work. The WordPress plugin is only included in the V3 skins, so you need to choose one of the V3 WebHelp skins. :)
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Suzette Seveny
Posts: 90
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 2:44 pm
Location: Ontario Canada

Re: Using Wordpress for online help

Unread post by Suzette Seveny »

Thanks for your responses Tim. The piracy situation is truly unfortunate. I would be okay maintaining our current documentation projects as is, and only using WP for new projects, but newer projects are going to quickly add up and I'll need to ability to publish multiple help projects.

I'll keep watch in case anything changes with the plug in.
dreesor
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:34 pm
Location: Edmonton, Canada

Re: Using Wordpress for online help

Unread post by dreesor »

Hi Tim

Worked like a charm...using a V3 skin puts the manual on the page I need. Time to customize the new V3 skin, and move forward.
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