FW: Software Demo Tools

["Moore, Tracey" <TMoore -at- PARKERVISION -dot- COM>]

You could do this in HTML and Javascript. For the hotspots, I'm thinking
the onMouseOver/offMouseOver Javascript would work nicely. This doesn't
require plugins at all, only a browser that handles Javascript, which
most do.

If you don't know Javascript, it's easy enough to get a Javascript book,
or even to grab the script from a web site like www.javagoodies.com.
Here's a script I found that might work:

http://www.javagoodies.com/flipflap.txt

It will take a little time to get it to work right, but probably not as
long as learning new software! And it won't cost a thing.

If you don't know how to construct web pages and graphics, then that's
another story. . .

FWIW, I used DemoShield for web-based demos, and there was a definite
learning curve involved. The demos take a long time to download across
the web. Take a look at the DemoShield web site. They have such demos.
For what you're doing, it may be little much.

Good luck!


-----Original Message-----
From: Sally Paul [mailto:spaul -at- CSISOLUTIONS -dot- COM]
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 1999 9:40 AM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: Software Demo Tools


Our Technical Communications department has recently been assigned the
task
of developing fairly simple demos of our software products. I'm
researching
the tool in which we want to write these demos. The requirements are as
follows:

* To demonstrate various screen features, we must include hot spots that
open pop-ups of descriptive text when the cursor passes over the
features.
* We want users to be able to run the demo from our Web site. That is,
we
don't want users to have to download the demo or to order it on CD-ROM.
* If possible, we'd like to avoid requiring users to download any
plug-ins,
but we don't have the time or resources to do the programming or
scripting
required to have the demo playable without a plug-in.

Thus far, it appears that DemoShield might be the right tool, although
it
does require the user to download a plug-in. I've also looked at
ToolBook,
Authorware, and Quest, which all seem like overkill to me. (We have
ToolBook Instructor, because we acquired a product that had an online
tutorial written in ToolBook. But it seems to be pretty difficult to use
if
you're not a programmer.) I also briefly considered just writing a small
HTML Help system, but I doubt that's what Sales is looking for.

Any thoughts on any of these tools? Any other suggestions? Any warnings?
Any input would be most appreciated. Thanks.

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Sally C. Paul
Creative Solutions

WORK: <spaul -at- CreativeSolutions -dot- com>  <<<<NEW ADDRESS>>>>
HOME: <espaul -at- mediaone -dot- net>

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