RE: New to documenting software

Subject: RE: New to documenting software
From: "Glenn Maxey" <glenn -dot- maxey -at- voyanttech -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 10:59:55 -0600



> -----Original Message-----
> From: sgodfrey -at- ion -dot- com [mailto:sgodfrey -at- ion -dot- com]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2001 10:41 AM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: New to documenting software
>
> He wrote the entire Help system in Winhelp (as
> far as I can tell).
> The software was written in Visual Basic.
> I want to know how he wrote them in the
> first place.

I suspect that he used Word for Windows (RTF files) and the help
compiler (HCW.EXE). That's all you really need. It's all I ever use for
WinHelp projects.

If you have RoboHelp, it has a tool for decompiling WinHelp files.
You'll get pretty good exports, although I have noticed problems in the
past with the HPJ (help project files). The RTF files will be good
enough for you to update. Then you can re-compile and be done.

> Can any of you please give me advice on:
> - editing exisiting Winhelp files

The source to a WinHelp project are the HPJ project file (text-based and
can be edited in Notepad or the HCW.EXE); RTF files which Word uses; and
CNT files (text-based and can be edited in Notepad or the HCW.EXE). If
you have the HCW.EXE, you can put Humpty-Dumpty back together again.
This executable is free from Microsoft and is often delivered as an
extra tool with MS Developer Studio as well as RoboHelp or ForeHelp
(because they rely on it, too.)

> - which programs are best for editing Winhelp files
> (Robohelp? Winhelp?)

It's not rocket science, so I use Word and the help compiler. However,
if you don't have the source files, you'll need to de-compile it. That's
where RoboHelp comes in handy. Moreover, if you don't know much about
help files, RoboHelp can help.

> - any possibilities for replacing Winhelp with more current
> types of help files (ala Robohelp)

RoboHelp is a help authoring tool for creating WinHelp (HLP) files. It
facilitates many of the steps you'll need to accomplish and may give you
a better overview. However, in one of the last steps in using RoboHelp,
it exports what you've done to RTF files and calls the MS Help Compiler
Workshop (HCW.EXE). Hence, you're sort of talking about the same thing.

> - working with engineers now to integrate the new Help files

If you de-compile the original, you probably won't have to do much to
get the new help file to integrate back with the program. You'll need
new MAP files from the engineers. You'll need to make sure that all new
context IDs in the MAP file are handled by your project file and/or RTF
files.

> - books or other references for teaching myself the basics here

There's lots you can look at, but I always refer to the HWC.HLP file. In
some ways like its lack of a TOC, its a poster child for what not to do.
However, it can still be very useful using the index.

If you want to upgrade to something else, like MS HTML Help, now is the
time to think about it. I mean, if you have to learn something new,
might as well make it something that will stick around awhile. RoboHelp
can help you get this, but only RoboHTML. Others can certainly tell you
more about it.

Glenn Maxey
Voyant Technologies, Inc.
Tel. +1 303.223.5164
Fax. +1 303.223.5275
glenn -dot- maxey -at- voyanttech -dot- com

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