BorlandTalk.com Borland discussion newsgroups   Archives   FAQ   Search   Memberlist   Usergroups   Register   Profile   Log in to check your private messages   Log in  How do you write your help files?          BorlandTalk.com Forum Index -> C++ Builder (Non-Technical) View previous topic :: View next topic   Author Message Randall Parker Guest Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 9:55 pm    Post subject: How do you write your help files? I'm about to take over maintaining the help file for one of the apps I work on. It has been getting written in Word and then generated into HTML. We want to produce PDF, turn the PDF into hard copy, and also support context sensitive help. Well, is Word the thing to continue to use? One guy I work with thinks we should just use FrontPage. I wonder how well the formatting out to PDF and hard copy would go if we did that. OTOH, maybe we could get better HTML pages if we used an HTML editor as our main editor. I see the existing HTML uses absolute font sizes rather than the relative ("small", "medium", etc) that allows MS IE to do scaling up and down text sizes. Is that a limitation of Word? Can one use Word to produce HTML and yet still use CSS with relative font sizes? Is there some other HTML editor from another vendor (Macromedia? other?) that would be better suited to use to produce both high quality HTML and for printing to PDF to produce hard copy? Also, how are you doing context sensitive help? Put some HTML rendering control in the app and pop up pieces of HTML from the regular doc in it? Or use Windows help format? Back to top Brion L. Webster Guest Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:43 pm    Post subject: Re: How do you write your help files? Randall Parker wrote: Quote: I'm about to take over maintaining the help file for one of the apps I work on. It has been getting written in Word and then generated into HTML. We want to produce PDF, turn the PDF into hard copy, and also support context sensitive help. If you don't want to abandon the MS Word format, both "Doc-To-Help" and "RoboHelp" allowed content generators to work in MS Word (for printed layout) then transform the content into a variety of outputs, including HTML, WinHelp, HTMLHelp, etc. You could get fancy and mark various parts for on-line help only, printed manual only (like different resolution screen shots), and other arcane details. Doc-To-Help: http://www.componentone.com/products.aspx?ProductCode=1&ProductID=12 2 RoboHelp: http://www.macromedia.com/software/robohelp/productinfo/overview/off ice_pro_net.html However, if you don't necessarily need the Word format, a specialty (cheaper) Help tool may fit you better. Help & Manual, from http://www.helpandmanual.com/ , is the highest recommended product I've ever heard of. HelpScribble has the second most rabidly loyal group, and I can highly recommend another of the author's products, EditPadPro. It's at http://www.helpscribble.com . Both products claim to support C++ Builder as well as Delphi, something you won't find in either of the "class leading" help authoring tools. Help authoring is an interesting challenge, and I respect how difficult it is. Even though I don't do the job any more, and I still whine as much as anyone about Borland's bundled docs, I recognize it's just plain hard to do. Good luck, -Brion Back to top Randall Parker Guest Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:16 pm    Post subject: Re: How do you write your help files? There appears to be no way from Word XP to save out HTML with relative font sizes. So I'm leaning away from using Word. I am wondering whether to consider Dreamweaver, FrontPage, or some other solution. I'm adept at HTML but collaborate with someone who I think would be better off using a WYSIWYG editor. I just came across these for HTML editing but haven't yet investigated: Quote: HTML free: jedit: http://www.jedit.org/ nedit: http://www.nedit.org/ ewisoft: http://www.ewisoft.com/ netpadd: http://www.netpadd.com/ araneae: http://www.araneae.com/ 1st page: http://www.evrsoft.com/ crimson: http://crimsoneditor.com/ ezpad: http://www.mmedia.is/ezpad/ acehtml: http://freeware.acehtml.com/ notetab light: http://www.notetab.com/ html-kit: http://www.chami.com/html-kit/ context: http://www.fixedsys.com/context/ pspad: http://www.pspad.com/en/index.html websmill: http://www.xtreeme.com/websmill/ metapad: http://www.liquidninja.com/metapad/ quanta (linux): http://quanta.sourceforge.net/ tswebeditor: http://thaler.ennstal.at/tswebeditor/ notespad: http://www.newbie.net/NotesPad/index.html grey matter pro: http://www.pagetutor.com/misc/grey.html editpad lite: http://www.editpadlite.com/editpadlite.html stones webwrite: http://www.webwriter.dk/english/index.htm matizha sublime: http://www.matizha.com/en/products/sublime/ not free: textpad: http://www.textpad.com/ [$30] notetab: http://www.notetab.com/ [$10+] editplus: http://www.editplus.com/ [$30] ultraedit: http://www.idmcomp.com/ [$35] editpad: http://www.editpadpro.com/ [$40] hypertext studio: http://www.olsonsoft.com/ [$100] namo: http://www.namo.com/products/webeditor/ [$90] acehtml pro: http://www.visicommedia.com/acehtml/ [$50] ibm websphere: http://www-3.ibm.com/software/webservers/hpbuilder/ [$70] spider writer: http://www.actiprosoftware.com/Products/SpiderWriter/ [$80] Brion L. Webster wrote: Quote: If you don't want to abandon the MS Word format, both "Doc-To-Help" and "RoboHelp" allowed content generators to work in MS Word (for printed layout) then transform the content into a variety of outputs, including HTML, WinHelp, HTMLHelp, etc. You could get fancy and mark various parts for on-line help only, printed manual only (like different resolution screen shots), and other arcane details. Back to top Michael McCulloch Guest Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:40 pm    Post subject: Re: How do you write your help files? On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 16:16:52 -0700, Randall Parker <STOPtechiepundit (AT) EVILfuturePOXpunditSPAM (DOT) com> wrote: Quote: I just came across these for HTML editing but haven't yet investigated: [list deleted...] Generic HTML editors won't do much to help you with generating Help files and the related goodies that integrate it with your application, including topic ids, index keywords, help context number management, and auto-generating projects compatible with Microsoft's help compilers. Help & Manual is my personal favorite. It is also designed to output the Help in several formats including an HTMLHelp project and a PDF book style. --- Michael McCulloch Back to top Brent Guest Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 12:33 am    Post subject: Re: How do you write your help files? As far as HTML editors go, I use Namo and it is absolutely brilliant. The power of Dreamweaver at a fraction of the cost. I like WinHelp, and still use it on occassion especially for component documentation etc. For applications, normally it is just a basic FAQ. For more complex applications I'm looking at providing HTML so that it can be accessed via the web etc... cheers, Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         BorlandTalk.com Forum Index -> C++ Builder (Non-Technical) All times are GMT Page 1 of 1   Jump to: Select a forum C++ Builder Newsgroups----------------C++ BuilderC++ Builder (ActiveX)C++ Builder (Announcements)C++ Builder (Command Line Tools)C++ Builder DatabasesC++ Builder Databases (ADO)C++ Builder Databases (Desktop)C++ Builder Databases (InterBase Express)C++ Builder Databases (Multi-Tier)C++ Builder Databases (SQL Servers)C++ Builder (Graphics)C++ Builder (IDE)C++ Builder (Internet)C++ Builder (Internet Socket)C++ Builder (Internet Web)C++ Builder (Jobs)C++ Builder (Language)C++ Builder (Language C++)C++ Builder (Compatibility with MFC)C++ Builder (Native API)C++ Builder (Non-Technical)C++ Builder (Students)C++ Builder (Third Party Tools)C++ Builder (Upgrade)C++ Builder (VCL)C++ Builder (VCL Components Usage)C++ Builder (VCL Components Development)C++ Builder (VCL Usage)C++ Builder (WinAPI)C++ Builder Installation Delphi Newsgroups----------------Delphi (General)Delphi ActiveX Controls UsageDelphi ActiveX Controls DevelopmentDelphi As400Delphi DatabasesDelphi Databases (ADO)Delphi Databases (dbExpress)Delphi Databases (Desktop)Delphi Databases (InterBase Express)Delphi Databases (Multi-Tier)Delphi Databases (SQL Servers)Delphi DeploymentDelphi GraphicsDelphi IDEDelphi InternationalizationDelphi InternetDelphi Internet Isapi-WebBrokerDelphi Internet WebSnapDelphi Internet WinsockDelphi JobsDelphi Language BASMDelphi Language ObjectPascalDelphi Model Driven Architecture (General)Delphi Model Driven Architecture (Third Party)Delphi MultimediaDelphi Native APIDelphi Non-TechnicalDelphi ObjectPascalDelphi OLE AutomationDelphi OO designDelphi OpenToolsAPIDelphi Reporting-ChartingDelphi RTLDelphi StudentsDelphi TeamSourceDelphi Thirdparty ToolsDelphi Thirdparty Tools (General)Delphi Thirdparty Tools (IntraWeb)Delphi Thirdparty Tools (RaveReports)Delphi UpgradeDelphi VCLDelphi VCL ComponentsDelphi VCL Components UsingDelphi VCL Components WritingDelphi WebServices SOAPDelphi WinAPIDelphi XMLDelphi Installationcomp.lang.pascal.delphi.components.misccomp.lang.pascal.delphi.components.usagecomp.lang.pascal.delphi.components.writingcomp.lang.pascal.delphi.databasescomp.lang.pascal.delphi.misccomp.sources.delphi JBuilder Newsgroups----------------JBuilderJBuilder AnnouncementsJBuilder Applet IssuesJBuilder As400JBuilder CompilerJBuilder CORBA/RMIJBuilder DatabasesJBuilder DB SwingJBuilder DebuggerJBuilder DeploymentJBuilder DocumentationJBuilder EnterpriseJBuilder HandheldJBuilder IDEJBuilder JavaJBuilder JavaAPIJBuilder Java LanguageJBuilder Java SwingJBuilder Java BeansJBuilder Java Beans UsageJBuilder Java Beans DevelopmentJBuilder JBCLJBuilder JDataStoreJBuilder JobsJBuilder LinuxJBuilder MacintoshJBuilder & MobileSetJBuilder MultiLingual AppsJBuilder Non-TechnicalJBuilder OpenToolsJBuilder Servlets (JSP)JBuilder StudentsJBuilder Team DevelopmentJBuilder Thirdparty ToolsJBuilder UpgradeJBuilder Installation InterBase Newsgroups----------------InterBaseInterBase Bug DiscussionInterBase GeneralInterBase IBConsoleInterBase OpenSourceInterBase ReplicationInterBase SQLInterBase ThirdpartyInterBase Installation Miscellaneous Borland Newsgroups----------------AppCenterAppServerEnteraVisiBroker  You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2006 phpBB Group SEO toolkit © 2004-2006 webmedic.