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Help systems
come in several different formats, and it is easy to get confused.
The major types of online help are described below. Each format
offers a similar set of navigation features, but they also
have their respective "pros and cons". In order to help you
make a more educated decision, we have compiled some basic
information of the different types of help systems that are
currently available to help you decide which format is best
suited for your particular needs.
Also known
as "Windows 95 Help", Classic WinHelp is found mostly in older
products that have not had a documentation overhaul in several
years. WinHelp systems are created from source documents in
.RTF format and compiled using a Microsoft help compiler.
Even though WinHelp has now been superceded, it is still a
popular option. Many companies feel that it is a tried and
tested technology that their users are familiar with, and
as such, they continue to choose it in preference to the latest
online help offerings.
Classic
WinHelp is identified by the Contents window, which displays
when the help file is opened. Users can search for specific
information in the following ways:
- Browse
through the topic-based tree structure of the Contents tab.
- Scan
through a list of alphabetized keywords in the Index tab
and choose from associated topics.
- Search
the entire help system for occurrences of a specific word
in the Find tab.
When a user
selects a topic, the Contents window closes and the WinHelp
window opens. The WinHelp window can display text in various
fonts and colors, graphics, and multimedia elements, such
as .AVI animation files and .WAV audio files. Hyperlinks give
users instant access to related topics without having to go
back to the Contents window. Users can print the contents
of any window, browse to the next sequential topic (if supported),
or return to the Contents window.
Pros:
- Supports
all types of links, including "hotspots" in graphics (SHG),
pop-up windows, "what's this" help, etc.
- Supports
secondary windows.
- Toolbar
in the Help window can be customized to add new functionality.
Cons:
- The
Contents window closes whenever you view a topic. This makes
it difficult to browse through topics because you have to
manually re-open the Contents window each time you switch
topics.
- Information
in this format cannot be exported or viewed in a web browser.
- Can
only be viewed on Windows (or Windows compatible) operating
systems.
Windows
2000 Help, called "WinHelp 2000", provides all the functionality
of Classic WinHelp with a much improved interface. WinHelp
2000 combines the Contents window and the WinHelp window into
a single interface, so you can select a topic from the left
pane and instantly view it in the right pane.
In addition,
WinHelp 2000 supports watermarks (ie backgrounds).
Pros:
- Split-window
interface makes it easy to browse for information. Almost
always a better solution than Classic WinHelp.
- Supports
all types of links ("hotspots" in graphics (SHG), pop-up
windows, "what's this" help).
- Secondary
windows, though supported, are rarely required in this format.
- Support
for watermark images in the background.
Cons:
- Information
in this format cannot be exported or viewed in a web browser.
- Can
only be viewed on Windows (or Windows compatible) operating
systems.
Microsoft
HTML Help is similar in appearance to WinHelp 2000, but the
content is written in HTML instead of RTF. The entire help
system is usually compiled and distributed as a single .CHM
("chum") file. To view a .CHM file, several Windows system
files and the Internet Explorer browser must be installed
on the user's computer. Once installed, launching the .CHM
file opens the HTML Help Viewer window.
HTML Help
is the industry-standard help system for the Windows platform.
All Microsoft-certified applications for Windows ME, XP and
2000 currently provide help in this format.
Pros:
- Easy
to navigate, like WinHelp 2000.
- Advanced
search and browse features over WinHelp.
- Supports
cascading style sheets.
- Support
for secondary windows is limited.
Cons:
- HTML
Help is only compatible with Internet Explorer and ActiveX
technology. You
cannot view .CHMs in Netscape or non-Windows operating systems.
WebHelp
is true HTML help. The distributed help system consists of
a loose collection of HTML files (one for each topic page.)
WebHelp uses the default web browser as its interface and
uses the navigation features of the web browser. Because it
is entirely HTML based, these systems can be viewed on both
Windows and non-Windows systems.
Pros:
- Can
be viewed on various computing platforms, including MS Windows,
Macintosh, Unix, and Linux. The
only online help option if you require total cross-platform
compatibility (without JAVA).
Cons:
- User
must have a web browser installed.
- Support
for secondary windows and pop-up windows is weaker than
WinHelp.
- Browser
interface does not allow you to customize the help toolbar.
- HTML
limitations make it an overall less robust help platform
than WinHelp.
JavaHelp
is an HTML-based format developed by Sun Microsystems. It
is designed specifically to work with applications written
in the JAVA programming language. The help file can be distributed
as a single compressed file (.JAR file) or as a set of source
(.HTML) files. JavaHelp runs in its own viewer interface,
provided by the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), which must
be installed in order to view JavaHelp files. The interface
includes the same basic Contents, Index, and Search functionality
as other help systems.
Pros:
The help system can be run or called anywhere where JAVA is
running, including the Windows, Mac, UNIX, and Linux platforms.
Cons:
The following are NOT supported in the JavaHelp Viewer:
- Links
to email, FTP, and other external files
- Fonts
(automatically set to JavaHelp default fonts)
- Text
spacing and paragraph positioning
- Table
widths, alignment and border effects
- Multimedia
Macros, DHTML, ActiveX, JavaScript, and VBScript
- Lists
(except regular and numbered)
- Background
images (watermarks) and colors Image maps
- Images
(do not display consistently in compressed JavaHelp)
MShelp2
will be Microsoft's next generation help format. Following
on from Winhelp and HTML Help, MShelp2 is destined to become
the next industry-standard help format.
Microsoft
have postponed the release of MShelp 2 until 2003.
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