Re: HTML Help: cutting out users?

[Alec Sonenthal <alec -at- GREENBROOK -dot- COM>]

I'd like to expand on Stephen's excellent answer.

RoboHelp and RoboHTML are simply authoring tools. Period. RoboHelp is based on
an .rtf file-based environment, since it was originally designed to create
WinHelp files. Since then, it has expanded its range dramatically, offering
outputs to WinHelp, straight HTML, HTML Help, JavaHELP, Windows CE Help, among
others.

RoboHTML is an authoring tool designed to output specifically to HTML Help (it
can be used for other HTML development as well).

The delivery platforms are different from the authoring tool (RoboHELP is an
authoring tool, HTML Help or WinHelp is a delivery platform.).

In this case, if any percentage of your audience is not using Windows 98 or
Windows NT, then you have decisions that must be made. HTML Help is dependent on
significant parts of Internet Explorer. So, a Windows 95 user would potentially
need a "silent" install of IE components for HTML to work.

If parts of your audience are still on Windows 3.1, deploying HTML Help is darn
near impossible, at the moment.

So, you could require Windows 98 or NT, or you could require Windows 95 with a
substantial install of IE components, or reconsider the use of HTML Help, for a
while.

This takes you back to to WinHelp, which is still a viable platform. The WinHelp
engine is still present in upcoming releases of Windows and NT, so your WinHelp
files will work fine. The authoring tools all support WinHelp, so tools,
training, and resources are still readily available for quite a while.

Hope this helps...

Alec Sonenthal
Help University, Inc.
http://www.helpuniversity.com

Sponsor of Help'99 Conference, November 1-4, 1999 Dallas, Texas
http://www.helpuniversity.com/conferen/fall99.htm

Sponsor of HelpNet and Robohelptrainers.com
http://www.robohelptrainers.com

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