The Essential Guide to Mastering MadCap Flare

This book, by design, is for those beginning with Flare but want to get a running start. The book is a comprehensive coverage of the various tasks you'll encounter in developing and implementing Flare projects. You'll get an introduction to the primary UI components - including Editors, Windows, and Menus; as well as a guide to using the many tools and features designed to enhance the outputs and to make your job easier along the way.

Much consideration went into the content and the design of this book. From my own experiences of starting with Flare, I know the difficulty of quickly getting your arms around the many different tasks associated with Flare projects. There seem to be endless ways of doing each job, and there is no fixed sequence of doing things. While there is no lack of good Flare documentation - just knowing where to start, what to do next, and in what order can be a bit of a challenge.

My first goal was to determine everyday tasks that you would eventually need to perform. The next item would be to briefly present each task by describing the basic concept, the essential elements, and application tips. The idea was to gather in one place the topics that would be essential in helping you get right to work.

Finally, how you should approach this book is closely linked to its design. Not every task is covered - however, you will likely find the topics you want to focus on initially. You can read the book from cover to cover if you like, but that is unnecessary. If you are new to Flare, the tutorial at the start of each chapter is a great place to begin. As your project calls for a particular task, turn to the appropriate topic to find a quick introduction, followed by a step-by-step procedure. Using the Table of Contents, you can quickly find a particular task; and the Appendices offers other practical information. With the Glossary and Index, you can soon become familiar with Flare-specific and related terminology.