Re: Creating Help

Subject: Re: Creating Help
From: Jo Francis Byrd <jbyrd -at- byrdwrites -dot- com>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 10:06:19 -0600

Graham,

From my own experience, if you need to create both online and hardcopy,
especially if you have limited experience in creating online help, use
Doc-To-Help. D2H is THE best tool, in my opinion, for doing both online and
hardcopy. It comes as close to single-sourcing as anything I've ever seen. D2h
will automate most of the process for you and includes a good tutorial. It
produces all the major flavors of online: Java-based, HTML - both IE dependent
and browser independent, WinHelp as well as hardcopy.

If you just needed to do online, RoboHelp, ForeHelp, HDK...they all do an
excellent job. Since you need to create the hardcopy, too....go with D2H!!!

Good luck!

Jo Byrd




Graham Bridge wrote:

> Hello everybody,
>
> I'm looking for some advice on adding a Help system to our software. The
> software is a CAM application which allows users to generate machining
> toolpaths output to NC machines. For the moment we only have
> paper based documentation (using MS Word 97 - and it does work pretty well). I
> have been planning to integrate a Help system for some time but it's a
> question of the right moment and having the time to do it
> properly - we have no in-house experience of creating such a system. I now
> think the right moment has come to effectively start this project. We will be
> introducing a completely new graphic interface which allows
> the user to visualize toolpaths, CAD geometry and carry out lots of operations
> and functions through menus, sub-menus, function buttons, etc. The existing
> documentation on this part of the application can be just
> thrown into the bin so this seems to be an excellent opportunity to integrate
> a Help system. So I am looking for info. on the methodology to use given that
> we must also produce paper documentation. I'm seriously thinking of using
> HTMLHelp. As far as tools are concerned I still have an open mind. Doc-to-Help
> seems logical as we use Word. I also noticed a mail on Author-It but there
> didn't seem to be any feedback on this product. Others I'm also aware of are
> RoboHelp, ForeHelp, HDK. Any advice on tools to use and how to go about the
> job will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Graham Bridge





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