Re: HTML Help: cutting out users?

["Kelly, Ellen S." <Ellen -dot- S -dot- Kelly -at- BENDER -dot- COM>]

I have a question to plunk on top of this discussion.  Since all the help
format discussion seem to inevitably swing back to Win-Help - how would I
employ a WinHelp system for a Web-based application?

I converted my project to WebHelp and it lost a lot of its formatting, plus
based on what I have heard many of my users very well may not be able to use
the WebHelp, depending on their browser and/or OS.

It seems like I would have to have users download the help file and then run
it how? Could they select "open from its current location" and then just run
the file from their temp. folder?

-Ellen

Ellen S. Kelly
Technical Communications and Training Specialist
Matthew Bender & Co.
-----Original Message-----
From: Alec Sonenthal [mailto:alec -at- GREENBROOK -dot- COM]
Sent: Saturday, April 24, 1999 5:55 PM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: Re: HTML Help: cutting out users?


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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