List of desired features - Any existing theme coming close?

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Martin Krimmel
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List of desired features - Any existing theme coming close?

Unread post by Martin Krimmel »

Hi y'all,

before trying out the plethora of different themes and settings, I am trying the shortcut and ask the crowd here to find the right h&M theme to continue testing with:

Our desired html-based help should be "modern", fully responsive (i.e. using the full width of the screen for content with a TOC that automatically disappears an can be enabled/disabled with a burger-menu-style button). It should be possible to browse it manually and as part of a context-sensitive help to be embedded in the respective GUI.

A "nice to have" feature would be a single field full-text search, a feedback option etc.
HelpBehavior 2.png
HelpBehavior 1.png
The basis of this list of desired features was the DevExpress online help which looked somehow "desirable" but was most likely not created using H&M: https://docs.devexpress.com/WindowsForm ... olbar-form

Is there any existing H&M theme that already comes close to this functionality and can be used to start working on for further customization?

Alternatively, is there any documentation available on how to create an individual theme from scatch?

Any help/hint would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards and thank you in advance
Martin
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Martin Krimmel
Technical Writer/Translator
d.velop Life Sciences GmbH
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Martin Krimmel
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Re: List of desired features - Any existing theme coming close?

Unread post by Martin Krimmel »

Hi again

meanwhile, I think, the closest we can get is starting with the Version 8 theme "Webhelp, iFrames Responsive, Grey.hmskin" with quick resizing and auto-hiding of the TOC including a burger menu for further interaction.

However, it appears in my tests that image toggles do not seem to work any more in this theme inthe Edge browser. Does this mean it only fully works in IE and nowhere else?

Moreover, the question remains, if this can be "tweaked" with some features from the Premium Pack 4.04 magazine style themes such as the single search field in the header. Can this be done? If yes, how?

Thanks in advance and best regards
Martin
Martin Krimmel
Technical Writer/Translator
d.velop Life Sciences GmbH
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Tim Green
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Re: List of desired features - Any existing theme coming close?

Unread post by Tim Green »

However, it appears in my tests that image toggles do not seem to work any more in this theme inthe Edge browser. Does this mean it only fully works in IE and nowhere else?
It works fine in all browsers. 8) My guess is that you are trying to test in Edge by using the "Open file" option. That won't and can't work because then it will be opened without a web server. If you want to test locally in browsers other than your default browser you need to first open automatically in your default browser. That activates HM's own local web server. Then to test in another browser, copy the URL from the Address: field of your default browser to the other browser.
Moreover, the question remains, if this can be "tweaked" with some features from the Premium Pack 4.04 magazine style themes such as the single search field in the header. Can this be done? If yes, how?
Theoretically yes, but it would be a big reprogramming/redesign job that would require a large number of person hours. :?
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Martin Krimmel
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Re: List of desired features - Any existing theme coming close?

Unread post by Martin Krimmel »

that would require a large number of person hours
I feared that you'd say that. :?

Is there any additional documentation/tutorial on how to develop a skin from scratch apart from the online help chapters?
Martin Krimmel
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d.velop Life Sciences GmbH
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Tim Green
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Re: List of desired features - Any existing theme coming close?

Unread post by Tim Green »

Martin Krimmel wrote: Wed Oct 28, 2020 3:04 pm Is there any additional documentation/tutorial on how to develop a skin from scratch apart from the online help chapters?
That is planned, among other things, but I fear you underestimate the amount of work involved... :?
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Martin Wynne
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Re: List of desired features - Any existing theme coming close?

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Hi Martin,

Bear in mind that you don't necessarily need an actual skin file. H&M works fine natively without a skin. Try it and see. You can then edit all the page templates and configuration files to embed the TOC, topics, index and search pages in your web site any way you like. If you choose PHP for the file extensions, you can do a lot of the scripting work directly on the server. PHP is much easier to write than Javascript because you don't have one hand tied behind your back by the browser, and there are no caching issues to do battle with.

cheers,

Martin.
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Martin Krimmel
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Re: List of desired features - Any existing theme coming close?

Unread post by Martin Krimmel »

Hi Tim

thanks for the hint to not needing a skin at all which I actually lost sight although I have exported the "unskinned" HTML before partially without realizing its significance and possible benefits in this context. Sometimes looking for the complex solution does not get you anywhere.

My preliminary conclusion from this is that we will probably not get the ONE all-purpose HTML output.

Instead we may have to create "skinned" HTML for a use on a portal and "unskinned" HTML for use in the GUI.

I'll see, where this will take us.

Thanks again
Martin
Martin Krimmel
Technical Writer/Translator
d.velop Life Sciences GmbH
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