RoboHelp

From Free net encyclopedia

RoboHelp is a Help authoring tool (HAT) created by the eHelp Corporation and now owned by Adobe Systems following the acquisition of Macromedia. The software is used by technical writers to create computer help files in various formats, including:

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Speculation about RoboHelp's future

Following comments [1] by Joe Welinske, president of WritersUA, intense speculation among the help authoring community began regarding the status and future of RoboHelp. The aforementioned change of ownership lead to hearsay about the whereabouts of the RoboHelp developers and producers, and the development cycle and support status of RoboHelp X5. To date, RoboHelp X5 is still sold and supported through Macromedia's Web site.

Speculation increased in March 2005 when several key members of RoboHelp's production team appeared at the WritersUA conference in Las Vegas, NV, now representing a new company named MadCap Software and touting a new XML-based authoring tool named Flare. Notably, Macromedia's RoboHelp display in the conference's Exhibition Hall was the only one that was unstaffed.

In March 2006, it was reported [2] that Adobe was planning to set up a new development team in India, and they are setting up meetings with interested parties to determine the future direction for the product.

At the April 2006 WritersUA conference, Adobe indicated that their developers are working on RoboHelp code[3].

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