Digital Workshop

Hi All
Iam using Opus Pro for the help system of another program. The other program is a complied database program (Filemaker) not an Opus exe with to connected db.

So, when a user clicks the help icon any place in db program, Opus opens to a particular page with the contextual help.

I update the db program regularly with new records and at some point, I will also need to and add a new Opus page of help for the new info in the db program. I have published a test publication using the "each page as a file' with the standalone.exe option and it works fine.

I am a little nervous about not knowing exactly what the lead unnumbered file actually does:

\PubDir\
test.ilm <-- this one
test_00000001.ilm
test_00000002.ilm
test_00000003.ilm

I know the 000000* file are pages. I reckon the test.ilm is sort of a global file containing overall information.

So when I update the Opus help file on the users' system do I need to always include the test.ilm file?
How or can I just compile the 1 new page I need?
How do I know exactly what to distribute to the end users' system, considering I may change/add/delete objects, scripts, vars, images, or even create a new dir on the users system that Opus would use? Any clues are much appreciated.

Hey thanks in advance. MNO

You are correct. Test.ilm is general information on the publication, the numbered files represent the pages.

However, the whole publication is designed to work together, so changing parts of the publication published at different times might cause some problems.

The best answer would be to do a binary compare on the files to see which have really changed, and update any that are different. Try fc /b oldfile newfile in a command prompt.

Thanks Dave
fc /b would tell me what to distribute, although I think eventually the project would become difficult to manage having perhaps a bit to update this week and then next week a piece, then a bit and a piece the next week.

So I reckon I could use .swf file as each one would be complete and in essance self contained.

I have read the the standalone player ilmplay.exe will play any *.ilm file(s).
So if a user just had ilmplay.exe I could provide them with any valid set or single *.ilm file and the ilmplay.exe would play them - even if the player was not complied at the same time as the *.ilm file(s)?
I am trying to not distribute the ilmplay.exe more than once in any situation.

Lastly,
How does the ilmplay.exe know which *.ilm file to play?

Thanks again. MNO

If it's not a single exe, the play will look for a .ilm file of the same name in the same directory. Or you could also pass the .ilm file as a parameter to the player.

cool thanks