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  1. #1
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    Exclamation Comments on Xara Designer Pro+ Update 20.6.0.60714

    Dear Xara Cloud+ / Pro+...

    @Rob-Xar - thank you for the update & release notes - https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...4&goto=newpost & http://releasenotes.xara.hosting/designer-pro-plus/.

    Having a Patch Release is now a benign experience.

    When, however, might we get the long overdue PDF Help File updated?

    The CHM Help File has its place but it is very limiting having it tied to the XDA, close the XDA and you lose access to the Help file.
    Yes I can visit C:\Program%20Files\Xara\Xara%20Designer%20Pro+\Hel pAndSupport\ENG\xarax.chm directly.
    Yes I can even launch a page with mk:@MSITStore:C:\Program%20Files\Xara\Xara%20Desig ner%20Pro+\HelpAndSupport\ENG\xarax.chm::/8292.htm; noting it is presented in Internet Explorer and that such a URI is implicit in a couple of hijacks.
    The CHM format is compile HTML pages and was replaced with new generation of Windows Help called Microsoft Assistance Markup Language since Windows Vista.

    Decompiling with hh.exe is possible.
    I used a utility for this a couple of versions ago and built a ToC in MS Excel using the data in #STRINGS & #URLSTR.
    I even found File > Import from Web address worked with file:\\\C:\Program Files\Xara\Xara Designer Pro X\16\HelpAndSupport\ENG\xarax\3040.htm.

    I have even tried importing the PDF Help file to create a web version.

    The point of all this is you could rework the information into a Scroll Website and with suitable Anchors have the same linkage possible from the XDA as you have now.
    The benefit is one Master and Xara generates the PDF free-of-charge. You supply a XAR file as a download and it can be Exported locally to the HelpandSupport folder or you do that on Patching.
    It would also help improve the XDA's DTP capability as you would be facing processing over 700 pages.

    ACORN
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Comments on Xara Designer Pro+ Update 20.6.0.60714

    Might you also make the correct xarax.chm file for Xara Designer Pro X 17.1.0.60486 DL x64 Oct 29 2020 available soon?
    I find it embarrassing for you that I have to revert to v16 to read about a function.

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    UK
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    21,283

    Default Re: Comments on Xara Designer Pro+ Update 20.6.0.60714

    @rob-xar - thanks
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Hertfordshire, UK
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    Default Re: Comments on Xara Designer Pro+ Update 20.6.0.60714

    The CHM file / help system will be discontinued soon in the future. We've already looked into replacement systems and it's not as straightforward as it appears.

    The original system that produces the CHM has lots of variants, one for each product. We can't just import DP (which has everything) because if someone from say Web Designer goes to the help, they'll see lots of features that aren't available to them.

    We can't produce one for each product because that would be duplicating the work a number of times, so my solution is a system that has everything but each help section is marked up for each product, so if you say check a box saying you have Web Designer, you'll only see articles that relate to what's in Web Designer.

    If we're going to go down this road then we may as well review all the content (as I know a lot of it can be improved and screenshots are... old), so it's time consuming as well. Once its done its done, and keeping it updated will be easy but it's just that initial time investment to get it sorted is the hard part.

    We'll try to keep a CHM file produced for offline users but I can't guarantee it. I don't have an ETA but I hope early next year.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Comments on Xara Designer Pro+ Update 20.6.0.60714

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob-Xar View Post
    The CHM file / help system will be discontinued soon in the future. We've already looked into replacement systems and it's not as straightforward as it appears.
    The original system that produces the CHM has lots of variants, one for each product. We can't just import DP (which has everything) because if someone from say Web Designer goes to the help, they'll see lots of features that aren't available to them.
    We can't produce one for each product because that would be duplicating the work a number of times, so my solution is a system that has everything but each help section is marked up for each product, so if you say check a box saying you have Web Designer, you'll only see articles that relate to what's in Web Designer.
    If we're going to go down this road then we may as well review all the content (as I know a lot of it can be improved and screenshots are... old), so it's time consuming as well. Once its done its done, and keeping it updated will be easy but it's just that initial time investment to get it sorted is the hard part.
    We'll try to keep a CHM file produced for offline users but I can't guarantee it. I don't have an ETA but I hope early next year.
    Rob, the answers simple, drop all the sub-versions as you have done with XPro+!

    Well, joking aside, I do appreciate the complexity having done the job of Tech Authoring manuals for enterprise applications running web and desktop versions and a few different languages thrown in too.

    Personally, I would look at XML Tagging and MarkDown these days. GitHub Wikis can be quite powerful too.

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    SW England
    Posts
    17,744

    Default Re: Comments on Xara Designer Pro+ Update 20.6.0.60714

    @all - FYI

    I was advise of this today:
    We are going to be performing an upgrade of our cloud infrastructure on the 4th of December from 09:30 CET Time. We estimate 30 minutes downtime on Xara Cloud while we complete the upgrade.

    We will be using this time to add more capability to Xara Cloud
    acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

 

 

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