Help for a browser-based application?

[Geoff Hart <Geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>]

Sue Clark is <<...wondering if anyone is creating help
systems for browser-based applications.  If so, what
format/software are you using for creation? What format have
you chosen for delivery?  What operating systems do you
have to support?  What browser versions?>>

I'm currently developing a training package that runs in
vanilla HTML, with no Java, Javascript, plug-ins, DHTML,
CSS, or etc.: so when I say "vanilla", I mean _vanilla_! <g>
My goal is to produce something that will work just fine with
any browser, on any operating system, because my emphasis
is on content, not flash. (That's not to say that I won't try to
make it visually interesting, but visual interest isn't even in the
top three design goals.) Stay tuned...

As for the help system, one very nice thing about HTML is
that you can easily build context-sensitive help into the main
application simply by placing a "help" button at the top and
bottom of each page: since you, as author, know exactly
where the request for help is coming from, making the
destination page context-sensitive is a no-brainer. You can
make this help system as sophisticated as you wish (e.g., in
the text, underlining any word that occurs in the glossary so
that readers can jump to the definition), and you can add
DHTML rollovers and other bells and whistles if you know
what browser your audience will use, but none of this is
necessary to produce an effective help system.

Can you tell I'm a minimalist by nature? <g>


--Geoff Hart @8^{)}     Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca

"Patience comes to those who wait."--Anon.

 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=