Tools for Online Help

[John Posada]

On 4/3/08, Ronquillo, Michael <mronquillo at equitrac.com> wrote:
>
> I'm looking for a tool for creating online help. I know there's
> RoboHelp, but I find it very overwhelming.
>
> I heard there is a tool out there where you can make it in Word. Anyone
> know of any easy programs, preferably free?


Michael...this isn't the answer you want to hear. If you are going to do a
serious online help, you are going to have to use a tool similar to RH
(whethe rit's RH, Flare, D2H, etc.), or use a simpler tool and manualy
create more of the process, which requires an even greater understanding
of the process.

Using a tool similar to RH is not difficult...depending on how you approach
it.

Don't approach it as "I need to learn RH", but instead, use the following
progression:

1) ICreate a simple topic.
2) Crreate a second single topic
3) Cross reference the second topic from the first topic
4) Drag two topics onto the TOC pane
5) Generate

You now have a fully functional help system.  That's it. Everything else,
including the largest help you've ever seen is 75% this, just repeating the
same stuff over and over.

Maybe later you want to add an index

 "How do you eat an elephant?" One bite at a time.

-- 
John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
NYMetro STC President and Program Chair

- Said the Zen master to the hot dog v endor "Make me one with everything."