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Subject:Re: Help for Windows From:"Gaignard, Karen" <keg0 -at- ATSOAA1 -dot- EM -dot- CDC -dot- GOV> Date:Wed, 2 Aug 1995 13:56:00 EST
I am new to tech writing (actually, I do project management and someone on
this project didn't want to pay the money for a professional, so I got the
job), and am trying to learn ForeHelp. I have only the demo copy right now.
Is there anything like - oh,...a user guide, etc. to facilitate the
learning curve? Also, I will be evaluating RoboHelp soon. What are the
differences (and similarities) between the two? The pros and cons of each?
KEG
keg0 -at- atsoaa1 -dot- em -dot- cdc -dot- gov
----------
From: TECHWR-L
To: Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: Help for Windows
Date: Tuesday, July 25, 1995 10:31PM
There are a variety of products available to develop help for Windows-based
applications. Some of the products are designed for writers who are familiar
with Microsoft Word 6.0 and do not want to work on a raw test/programming
level.
Other products support an RTF screen editor environment that programmers
are more comfortable with (especially if they are already using Microsoft
Access
and trying to take advantage of the full capabilities of Microsoft
SourceSafe).
The more popular products are:
* RoboHelp by Blue Horizons
* Doc-To-Help by WexTech Systems
* ForeHelp by ForeFront, Inc.
All three of the above outfits offer "demo" disks, if you want to test
drive.
However, for the purest, there is no substitute for the Microsoft Windows
Help
Authoring Tool Kit and a 495 page authoring guide which comes on CD-ROM,
only.
NOTE: Blue Horizons has started introducing some very popular spinoff
products
that allows the writer to go beyond conventional presentation help
by
incorporating video and animation. However, these tools are sort of
pric
($500 each) and for good performance, your PC needs to be a
Pentium/100M
hz
with 32 MB of RAM and a 1-2 gigabyte hard drive.
Good luck.
P.S. -- Most of the above products are designed to run under Windows 3.1
which means they are susceptible to general processor faults and
limited filename structures. In addition, the parsing (help build)
can be time consuming, especially if you desired file compression.
Future offerings will support Windows NT and Windows 95 which should
eliminate these productivity limitations.
