Re: Win95 Help vs WinHelp

Subject: Re: Win95 Help vs WinHelp
From: Gregory Keith <GKeith -at- DELRINA -dot- COM>
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 1995 13:23:00 PDT

>What are the differences? What do I need to know? How can it help me give
>our customers better documentation?

Mike;

WinHelp 4.0 is a fairly different breed of bird from WinHelp 3.1.

Using it is different, since it's generally organized into a three-tab
system (Contents, Search and Find), with the Search and Index features
combined into a simplified Search dialog. It's more "book-like", with
collapsible and expandable "books" for each topic on the Contents page. The
Find feature allows full-text search through all help topics. Also, if
shortcut keys have been included in the topics, users can access controls
directly in the app they're working with.

From the building side, it uses a different compiler, HCW.EXE, there is a
MS-provided "Help Workshop" graphical environment to build help in, the
Contents topic is built differently, and new A-link and K-link keywords
provide extra info linking possibilities, as well as the shortcut keys you
can put in place. The WinHelp 4.0 engine will run 3.1 help files, making
them look somewhat like 4.0 help files without all the functionality.

For a detailed summary, check out the thorough 160-page book (and only book,
at the moment!) "Moving to WinHelp 95", sold by Blue Sky as part of the
WinHelp Office suite. It's got comparison screen shots between 3.1 and 4.0
help and detailed descriptions of all the changes from both the user's and
the author's perspectives. Also, Farkas, Boggan and Wellinske, the authors
of "Developing Online Help for Windows", are bringing out a new book on
Windows 95 help expected in September.

I don't have any connection with Blue Sky, other than having WinHelp Office
and liking it a lot! Below is contact info for them.

Greg

Gregory Keith
Documentation Specialist
Delrina Canada
gkeith -at- delrina -dot- com

"In the beginning was the word. But by the time the second word was added to
it, there was trouble. For with it came syntax..." John Simon
__________________________________________________________________


Mastering Windows 95 Help is available from Blue Sky software
(1.800.677.4946).
This book is also included in both the WinHelp Office suite and the new
Moving to Windows 95 products: These are also from Blue Sky Software.

The book first explains how to create a help system now that runs on Windows
3.1, NT, and looks native on Windows 95. It then explains how to use the
advanced WinHelp 4.0 features, for a Win95/NT3.51 exclusive system.

David VanAusdale
Blue Sky Software






mike -dot- starr -at- software -dot- rockwell -dot- com


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