#31990
Windows Software Help Files Formats
Are you still wondering which help file format to use for your Windows software? The selection depends on your software and on the information that is in your help files. Each help file format has its own unique features that may be useful in certain situations.
Crane, Dennis. Dr. Explain (2007). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#21194
Here you will find a collection of WinHelp development aids and tutorials.
Becker, Josef. Helpmaster. Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#21196
Miscellaneous software for converting WinHelp files into other formats.
#21195
Here you will find a selection of tools that enhance WinHelp, collected since 1995 and made publicly available on this pages.
Becker, Josef. Helpmaster. Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#24258
Writing for Short Attention Span Theater 
If everything on the desktop was proceeding as planned, nobody would ever press F1. But people do press F1--a lot-- and it’s our job to give them the information they need when they need it. This paper suggests design strategies, organizational strategies, and writing tips that can help make the information in your WinHelp files more accessible.
Gallagher, Susan W. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#20686
I'll never be able to be a technical writer. How do those people do it?
Osherove, Roy. ISerializable (2003). Articles>Documentation>Technical Writing>Help
#24510
Writing Microsoft Windows Help — Two Steps Past the Basics
With planning, an understanding of organizational devices such as expandable tables of contents, secondary help windows, and graphical navigational aids, you can make your help system easier to use, more attractive, and more useful.
Thomas, Morgan O. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#27797
XML: the Future of Windows Help?
For a long time we've been told that XML Help is the future. So is it? In this article, David Rose examines the current state of the online help development industry and the direction it is heading.
Rose, David. Armada Online (2005). Articles>Documentation>Help>XML
#31144
I would argue that 'Presentation Zen' contains ideas that are also relevant to technical communication.
Pratt, Ellis. Cherryleaf (2008). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#32349
Users Read Help Manuals Like an Encyclopedia, Not a Novel
Users turn to help to look for a specific question, just as someone consults an encyclopedia for a specific question. No one reads the entire encyclopedia/manual, nor is anyone expected to. Well-written encyclopedias allow users to find information through indexes, tables of contents, alphabetical organization, and search fields.
Johnson, Tom H. I'd Rather Be Writing (2008). Articles>Documentation>User Centered Design>Help
#32353
FLOSSmanuals.net: A New Wiki Help Authoring/Publishing Tool Hybrid
Flossmanuals.net is a new wiki help authoring/publishing tool hybrid that, as far as I know, is completely unique. The site is more than a wiki. It allows groups of authors to create specific chapters independently. You can then remix the chapters into any arrangement and selection you want through a drag-and-drop interface.
Johnson, Tom H. I'd Rather Be Writing (2008). Articles>Documentation>Help>Wikis
#32376
Designing online Help for PDAs is a marked shift from designing for personal computers because the reduced memory capacity and display-unit size (a VGA screen of 300x240 pixels) of PDAs mandate Help formats optimized in ways not necessary with larger machines. Current Help files on PDAs are simple HTML files, but this format might prove inadequate for the complex Help files needed for more elaborate software applications. Thus it is necessary to explore strategies for online Help that work within the limitations of small-screen devices.
Padmanabhan, Poornima. STC Canada West Coast (2007). Articles>Documentation>Wireless Web>Help
#32776
Placing Value on User Assistance
User assistance writers are often the Rodney Dangerfields of the UX world, bemoaning the fact that we don’t get any respect. I think the real problem is that user assistance folks are not particularly good at communicating the ways in which we add value to an enterprise. This column explores two models that show how user assistance adds value and how we can communicate that value to those who pay our salaries—something I would like to encourage other user assistance writers to do.
Hughes, Michael A. UXmatters (2008). Articles>Documentation>Technical Writing>Help
#32979
Nine Trends in Online User Assistance
Whilst applications are becoming more complex, many people believe that online user assistance hasn't changed much since WinHelp was introduced with Windows 3. This is a misconception. There have been many developments in this field aimed at increasing end-user productivity and satisfaction.
Pratt, Ellis. Cherryleaf (2003). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#32980
Just as a romantic poet might choose to pen an ode to a single rose as opposed to the entire garden, perhaps we should look to the simplest elements of usability for inspiration. Perhaps it’s time to recognize the contribution of a single humble helper. Yes, it’s time for an ode to Balloon Help. You may smile, but it can be argued that Balloon Help is not only one of the most ubiquitous implementations of modern technological performance support but it is also one of the most underappreciated.
Cavanagh, Thomas B. Usability Professionals Association (2004). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#33159
Eight Tips for Writing Informative Overview Topics
Overview topics play an important role in creating a positive user assistance experience. Unlike procedures, which deliver critical information on how to solve a problem quickly, overview topics fill in the conceptual details and background "story." Here are some tips for writing thorough and informative overviews.
HelpScribe (2008). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#33335
Alternatives to Software Documentation
Software documentation such as Help systems and user guides may be the best method of helping your customers to use your software effectively. However, one or more of these alternatives may be a better solution.
Unwalla, Mike. TechScribe (2007). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#33523
Knowing HTML alone is not enough to create HTML Help. What deliverables does the client need? CHMs (HTML Help)? Web-based Help (HTML files + other things that create the Toc, Index, Search tabs etc.)? Java Help? Oracle Help? Be aware of the limitations of some formats.
CyberText Consulting (2008). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#33600
Last month, Forrester Research released results from a survey on how much consumers trust different sources for information. They didn't include online Help or knowledge bases in the survey, so we don't know how well or badly they would have come out in the survey.
Cherryleaf (2009). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#33634
Should Your Help Be Moved to a Server?
As broadband Internet access becomes increasingly available, software providers are minimizing the local installation of help topics and instead moving some or all help to Web servers. While this approach may alienate users who have no Internet connection or lack broadband access, there are many advantages. Web servers offer features and options that aren't available with locally installed help.
HelpScribe (2009). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#33636
Consolidating Content Delivers More with Less
Software products have found ways to share content and reuse content to deliver more value with limited resources. For example, fantasy football web sites share player news, injury reports, and game statistics. Security products often reuse security announcements and warnings from trusted sources, and present them as rebranded content. We are also seeing software vendors using Twitter and RSS feeds to distribute information and announcements. The next step is when these information feeds are integrated into the product user interface itself, making it the one stop resource for all the information needs of its users. No more need to use google when your product itself delivers the answers to all your questions from the sources you trust.
Answers for All (2009). Articles>Content Management>Documentation>Help
#33679
Every help authoring tool seems to have a different approach to presenting search results. Offerings range from ranked results to alphabetical lists, with additional features thrown in such as the inclusion of chunks of topic text with highlighted search keywords. Each method of presenting search results offers different benefits to users. Since help tools offer mixed approaches, I feel perfectly comfortable throwing my own opinions into the mix.
Haiss, Craig. HelpScribe (2009). Articles>Documentation>Search>Help
#34064
A short blog post that discusses why users are more interested in learning how to, and not what is.
Nesbitt, Scott. DMN Communications (2009). Articles>TC>Documentation>Help
#34093
User assistance can add value to a product or Web service’s business model by influencing how deeply users adopt new features or services. As more products employ pay-as-you-go models like that of SaaS (Software as a Service), the contribution user assistance makes becomes increasingly more important.
Hughes, Michael A. UXmatters (2009). Articles>Documentation>User Centered Design>Help
#34235
Searching Help: Don’t Even Go There
Web site user assistance that consistently exceeds customer’s expectations can catapult your company to legendary status and create brand equity you can measure in billions of dollars. However, making Help a strategic asset for your company is an arduous task. To shed light on this important topic, I have teamed up with Tricia Clement, a renowned cognitive psychologist and Web site user assistance expert. In this month’s Search Matters column, we’ll deliver actionable insights about Web site user assistance.
Nudelman, Greg and Tricia Clement. UXmatters (2009). Articles>Documentation>Help>Search
