Acrolinx for MadCap - Flare and Contributor – Acrolinx

Applies To

Product	Version
Acrolinx for Flare and Contributor	1.2

What You Should Know Before Installing

Before you install Acrolinx for MadCap, make sure you've installed the following:

Product	Version
MadCap Flare	2017, 2017 r2, 2017 r3, 2018
MadCap Contributor	8
Internet Explorer	11

Check our compatibility guide if you want to know whether Acrolinx for MadCap works with your local platforms.

Introduction

Acrolinx for MadCap installs the Sidebar for both Flare and Contributor at the same time.

To get started, take a look through the following tasks and concepts:

What content can I check with the Sidebar?

Acrolinx for MadCap works best in the 'XML Editor' view. So it's a good idea to edit and check your content with the 'XML Editor' view.

Supported file types:

Type	Extension
Flare HTML Document	.htm, .html, *.xhtml
Contributor Document	*.mcdoc
Contributor Topic	*.mcco
Contributor HTML Document	.htm, .html, *.xhtml

How can I install, update or uninstall Acrolinx for MadCap?

Acrolinx for MadCap is available on your Acrolinx downloads web page. You need a customer account to sign in. If you don't have a customer account, then contact your Acrolinx project consultant.

Install Acrolinx

Here's how to install Acrolinx:

Important: You need administrator rights on your computer to install Acrolinx for MadCap.

In a browser window, open the Acrolinx downloads page and sign in.
Download Acrolinx for MadCap Flare Sidebar edition .
Double-click the installer in Windows and follow the on-screen instructions.

Update Acrolinx

To update Acrolinx, you need to download and install the new version. You don't need to remove the older version first, just follow the install procedure above.

Uninstall Acrolinx

You can uninstall the Acrolinx for MadCap without affecting your checked documents.

To remove Acrolinx for MadCap, close Flare and Contributor and follow the Microsoft Windows procedure for changing and removing programs.

Where's my Sidebar?

Ribbon Interface

If you use the Ribbon interface, you'll see an Acrolinx tab, often next to the Help tab. Click the Acrolinx icon to show or hide the Sidebar.

Tool Strip Interface

If you use the Tool Strip interface, you'll see an Acrolinx menu, often next to the Help menu. Click the Acrolinx button to show or hide the Sidebar.

Where can I change my Acrolinx address?

You can change your Acrolinx address by signing out and signing in again. Sign out from the slide-out menu in the Sidebar.

How do I check a selection of my content?

Acrolinx for MadCap can check a selected section of your content.

To use check selection in Flare or Contributor:

Select some content by highlighting it with your cursor.
Click CHECK SELECTION in your Sidebar. You can find it in the drop-down menu next to the CHECK button.
Voila! The Sidebar will only show you cards for the content you've selected.

Note: Check selection can be unreliable if you select a table.

Does my check data get embedded in my document?

If your Acrolinx administrator enables the Embed Check Data feature, Acrolinx saves check data as a meta tag within the head element of your XML document. If your document doesn't already have a head element, Acrolinx creates one while embedding check data.

Here’s an example of how embedded check data looks for XML documents:


       <meta name="acrolinxCheckData" timeStarted="2018-06-05T12:26:31Z" score="83"
       status="green"
       scorecardUrl="<SERVER_ADDRESS>/output/en/gear_pump_xhtml_admin_38616c5a5ff3e6fe_1_report.html"
       />

To learn more about activating and using the Embed Check Data feature, see our article on Embed Check Data for Sidebar Edition Integrations .

What does the Acrolinx Administrator need to do?

Optional: Specify your Acrolinx address with an MSI Installer Property

If you use the MSI installer properties to automate the installation of Acrolinx for MadCap, you can now also specify your Acrolinx address. This means that writers don't have to enter this information themselves. To set your Acrolinx address, use the property ACROLINX_SERVER_ADDRESS.

Property Description

ACROLINX_SERVER_ADDRESS

Specify the Acrolinx address.

Example:

msiexec /i MadCapV1.2.64_bit.msi /qn ACROLINX_SERVER_ADDRESS=https://demo-inc.acrolinx.com

Note: This property works for first-time installations only. The property gets ignored during an update and whichever server address is currently configured gets used instead.

For more information on using the Sidebar, take a look at the article Get Started With the Sidebar .