From: Rev. Bob 'Bob' Crispen (revbob_at_crispen.org)
Date: 26 April 2003
I found this posted to comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.winhelp by PD.Lees_at_btinternet.com (Pete Lees):
-= BEGIN forwarded message =-
Subject: Re: tool recommendation?
From: PD.Lees_at_btinternet.com (Pete Lees)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.winhelp
Organization: http://groups.google.com/
Rex,
> I have heard there are various types of help formats (WinHelp, HTML,
> etc) but am not sure which type is best for me.
WinHelp has been around since the very early 1990s and has now largely been superseded by HTML Help, which has been the standard help format in all versions of Windows since Windows 98. But there is one crucial point about HTML Help that may determine which of the two formats you go with: users must have Internet Explorer 3.0 or later installed to view HTML Help files. The following resources describe the system requirements for HTML Help in detail:
http://www.mvps.org/htmlhelpcenter/htmlhelp/hhsysreq.html http://www.workwrite.com/helpthink/deploy_chandler.htm
> Initially I will not be producing a hardcopy manual, but this might be
> needed a year or two down the road.
If you expect to single-source printed documentation and online help then WebWorks Publisher or Doc-To-Help could be good choices. RoboHelp is probably the market leader but the quality of the print output is said to be indifferent. On the other hand, I think eHelp has tried to fix this in the latest version, X3.
The following resources may help you reach a decision:
Tools Comparison Matrix:
http://www.helpstuff.com/downloads/toolsv5.pdf (Acrobat 5 format)
http://www.helpstuff.com/downloads/toolsv4.pdf (Acrobat 4 format)
Which Help Authoring Tool(s) Do You Choose? http://www.helpstuff.com/downloads/HATcomparison.ppt
Review of Doc-To-Help 6.0:
http://www.winwriters.com/dth6.htm
Review of RoboHelp Office 2002:
http://www.winwriters.com/robohelp02_pt1.htm
And see also the HelpMaster site (http://www.helpmaster.com) for links to free and shareware help authoring tools.
Pete
-= END forwarded message =-
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