Versioning - best pracitces, please

[elDuck]

Hi, a few weeks back I posted a question where I was creating courses for client A then making a version for client B (Get Engage?) I got no responses.

I'll keep this post more simple.

Client has a course that I've made. Say I am storing it in C:\course_v1. I need to do updates and make a version 2. Version 1 needs to stay in-tact for reference.

I *imagine* that I just copy the whole directory tree of development and make a new copy C:\course_v2. But I suspect that there may be pointers in the PPT or otherwise that will point to C:\course_v1 (for example graphics added to PPT, Engage interactions, audio tracks, presenters and so on).

What is the correct way to do versioning of courses in Articulate so that I do not edit V1 content by mistake or have a broken course in either V1 or V2?

I am in just this situation where simulations (Camtasia inserted as Flash) need to be re-done and some of my graphics will also change but don't want to approach it the wrong way and find that I hit problems later.

[elDuck]

Having posted this I've continued researching and found an article on the blog http://www.articulate.com/blog/directory-structure/

The posts at the bottom of it describe what is happening to me.

My directory structure (under My Documents) looks something like this:

clientname\training_v1 (main project folder holding coursename.ppt)
clientname\training_v1\engage_interactions (the original files that I made in Engage)
clientname\training_v1\gfx (any graphics that I add into the ppt)
clientname\training_v1\narration (the scripts for my audio recordings plus the wav files)
clientname\training_v1\publishedname_training_v1
clientname\training_v1\publishedname_training_v1\e ngage_b9c45
clientname\training_v1\publishedname_training_v1\e ngage_d7152
clientname\training_v1\publishedname_training_v1\n arration (the place where the audio that I have imported from the narration folder ends up)
clientname\training_v1\publishedname_training_v1\o bjects
clientname\training_v1\simulations (all of my Camtasia files, projects and audio for them)
clientname\training_v1\sme_input (anything the Subject Matter Expert sends me as notes)

"publishedname_training_v1" is the name under Articulate>Publish in the field "publish_title" (I changed it from the default of "coursename"), or under File>properties>custom>ArticulatePath.

Now I have "training_v1" folder containing version 1.

I copy it to "training_v2".

If I go into the ppt file and Articulate>import audio all of the file names are pointing back to the training_v1 folder (were I to delete it I presume it would not find them). So there is a link to the original course name. If I want to change audio I have to do them one by one. Mmmm.

If I change the published_name_v1 to published_name_v2... will it all blow up? I'm not sure.

I edit an Articulate Engage interaction. I check the files that get edited.

Although I opened "v2" the "v1" Engage interaction is the one that gets edited.

So I could unwittingly edit V1 when I am trying to update V2. Not good.

As I said in the other thread, I will need to copy a course and modify it for another client. This is no different really than doing a new version - change a few words, change colour scheme and presenter info. But I'm VERY worried that I'll edit one client's course and it will edit another client's information leaving me with a nightmare to ensure that all courses are independent.

That's what this post is trying to get to - understand how to develop and maintain different courses independent of one another when they are based on a common root course.

[GlynC]

This is one where you can get yourself in a real mess, so you need to be careful.

What we do is:
Firstly we back up all the originals onto another drive - just in case!

1. Open the original PowerPoint i.e. course_v1.ppt
2. Save the file under its new name i.e. course_v2.ppt
3. In PowerPoint Articulate>Publish you should be asked if you wish to import files as the presentation name has changed.
4. Ensure you rename the file in the Publish dialogue to match what you called it in step 2.
5. Publish.

All the files should now be stored under a new folder called course_v2

The problem is the Engage or Quizmaker files, if you need to change them. You will need to do the same as with the PowerPoint, i.e. open and rename and then relink them in the new PowerPoint file.
Not the ideal solution but as I say it (normally) works for us. Hope this helps.

Glyn

[elDuck]

Glyn, thanks. I did get a "name change" warning on one of my tests but couldn't work out what I had done to trigger it . I've only got a few Engage interactions and no quizzes (yet).

On the basis of what you've said I should be able to make progress. I'll try it next week. Thanks alot.