#22918
Standards for Visuals for Online Help: Selected Examples 
The panelists provide examples of standards for visuals that reduce text and increase access in online Help. They briefly cover how these visuals solve problems for both customers and Help designers, and they discuss standards for two of the visuals selected for the session. Audience ranking determines the order of the remaining visuals. In covering the visuals, the panelists use examples from Help for highly sophisticated engineering, applications whose users have varying levels of experience and comfort with computer software. The panelists also provide checklists for developing standards, including standards for how information should look and, more importantly, work.
Bibus, Connie M. 'C.J.' and Kristy J. Dale. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#24307
How do customers expect to access online Help? Once in the Help system, how do they expect to navigate toward the information they need? In the absence of detailed research that tells us what customers know about getting and using online Help, we can look for clues in the marketplace. A survey of the Help systems in more than sixty Windows 95 applications (including those in the major suites from Corel, Lotus, and Microsoft) shows some clear trends. These trends can help us understand what customers are coming to expect from online Help based on their experience with other Windows 95 applications.
Elley, Frank. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#23581
Steps To Successful Documentation on CD-ROM
The authors suggest a 10-step process for planning, tracking, and completing an online documentation project.
Hernandez, Susan K. and Timothy R. Repel. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Documentation>Online
#29797
Taking Risks with a New Online Help Tool
Some might not think that converting FrameMaker content into online help and user documentation would involve taking risks. In this article, we tell our story of what risks were involved with one of my recent projects, how we overcame them, and what benefits we reaped by using state-of-the-art technology.
Grissino, Ann-Marie and Rebecca McMurry. Carolina Communique (2007). Articles>Documentation>Online>RoboHelp
#12969
Shovelware is becoming the norm in computer software documentation. Many companies no longer furnish printed books with their products, and it’s usually impossible to produce (from the on-line help files) a reasonable facsimile of a coherently organized, double-sided, printed book with page numbers, running headers and footers, table of contents, glossary, and multilevel subject index. The current sad state of affairs is epitomized by the FrameMaker user manual and on-line help. In the last release (V5.1) of FrameMaker+SGML for which Frame Technology was responsible, the printed user’s manual was quite comprehensive at 900+ pages, and the on-line help was extensive, well-designed, and effective. But the Adobe-produced V5.5 user’s manual (including the separate “Getting Started” manual for FM+SGML) has 300 fewer pages, even though many new fea-tures (e.g., HTML and XML export) in V5.5 had to be covered in addition to all those features common to both releases. Not only that, but the effectiveness of the on-li
Emory, Dan. TECHWR-L (1999). Articles>Documentation>Help>Online
#21707
An overview of documentation development for online help.
Unni, Tharun Kumar. STC India (2003). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#22852
To HTML or Not: What Are the Questions?
With the advent of the World Wide Web (WWW), HTML has become a viable way of putting information online. But, is it always the best way? For interactive multimedia presentations, HTML is not always the best choice. You have to consider the need for platform-specific file formats, the limits of Web browsers, and the lack of comprehensive Web-authoring environments. However, for online documentation and help, HTML is often a good choice. HTML converters help produce usable online documents, and HTML-based help systems provide similar features to those found in WinHelp.
Gerrior, Suzanne, Marianne Rodrigues, Monica E. Stein, Frances C. McGill and Stephen R. Blair. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Documentation>Online>HTML
#29992
Microsoft HTML Help is actually a suite of technologies. CHM is one part; the HH viewer (a cut-down Internet Explorer with CHM processing abilities) is another. To provide a Table of Contents (TOC) and index for Web-based Help (over HTTP), to support Web applications for example, there are two other Microsoft HTML Help components. One is an ActiveX TOC control, and the other is a Java TOC applet. While these components provide Web-based Help with a TOC, they do not allow context-sensitivity AND a TOC at the same time, because the TOC displays in a frameset.
HyperWrite (2004). Articles>Documentation>Help>Online
#20007
Toil and Trouble: HTML Help and NetHelp
Toil and trouble. That’s what this year’s online help crystal ball predicts. It shows two flavors of HTML-based help and to make matters worse, their names are confusing: HTML help (which is not the same as HTML-based help) and NetHelp. Oh, me nerves. Well, let’s try to calm ourselves and explore these new concepts.
Grissino, Ann-Marie. Carolina Communique (1997). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#24290
Top Ten Blunders in Online Documents and Help Facilities
As a consultant I get called in after the wreck to figure out what went wrong. Across a wide range of industries and products, the same problems recur again and again. In this presentation, I’ll show you what these common problems are and simple ways to avoid them.
Horton, William K. III. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#29903
Transitioning Print-Based Training into WBT Delivery: Lessons Learned
This panel discussion will explore a specific project conducted by the Mercer Engineering Research Center (MERC) in which existing MERC-designed United States Air Force print-based training was rapidly converted to web-based training. Specific issues discussed are differences in design strategies for print and web instruction, development and authoring approaches, rapid prototyping, usability testing, project management concerns, and lessons learned.
Codone, Susan K. and Lance Stuckey. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#27650
Trends and Opportunities in Software User Assistance: Part 1
This article provides an overview of the latest trends in software user assistance based on surveys, interviews, and observations by the author and other experienced user assistance professionals. The article defines the key terminology, highlights the most important issues and elements, and offers both short and long-term predictions for the field. The article will appear in four installments. The next installment will be in February.
Welinske, Joe. WritersUA (2005). Articles>Documentation>Help>Online
#24438
Tutorial-Gate: An Under-the-Covers Workshop on Online Tutorials
Watergate, White Water- Gate, and now Tutorial-Gate—an exposure of techniques used for creating online tutorials for software systems. Learn to do the job right: (1) write a plan, (2) team up, (3) steal an interface design, (4) select a development tool, (5) keep the script simple, (6) build a prototype (7) add interactivity, (8) fix problems, (9) enjoy!
Beren, Wendy G. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Documentation>Online
#24711
Two Time Zones Beat as One: A Model for International Project Management
Challenges abound when a documentation team is based in two countries, works with software developers in four countries, and produces documentation for use by engineers in many countries. Differences in language usage, cultural perspectives, time zones, holiday schedules, and educational backgrounds are only a few of the difficulties to overcome.
Auten, Kathlyn, Joan L. Kellogg and Sudha Seshadri. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Documentation>Collaboration>Online
#30289
Usable Online Documentation: A Look At Recent Research
Online documentation often seems to be a panacea for our difficulties in providing usable documentation. Scholars and practitioners alike provide a steady stream of new ways to apply, structure, categorize, choose, and develop online documentation. However, empirical evidence, either for or against many of these ideas, is still lacking, leaving us guessing about which concepts will truly help our users and which will be technical communication's Edsels. Recent studies show conflicting information about the key usability factors in online documentation, but do offer some hints of where to begin. This article will help technical communica- tors apply theory by summarizing recent empirical studies about online documentation usability.
Ray, Eric J. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Documentation>Online>Usability
#23727
User Guides and Online Help Systems
Resources relating to user guides and online help systems.
Technical Communicators Resource Site. Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#24274
Using Hardcopy Documentation in the Transition to Online Documentation
In the transition to online documentation, one of the communicator’s most effective tools can be a hardcopy document. Providing your users with a printed manual that introduces them to your product and your online documentation might be just the thing they need to get started using both. To create an effective hardcopy document, you must begin by gathering feedback, analyzing your audience, and setting your goals. You can then use that information to determine what to include, what to exclude, and what to call your hardcopy document.
Collier, Karen E. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#20729
Using HTML to Deliver Context-Sensitive Online Help
Computerized Medical Systems needed to develop content-sensitive online help for a UNIX-based application. We found that this could be done using standard HTML, with each help topic in its own file and displayed in a web browser. With careful planning, we were able to create a map of the applications coded pages to our help files, giving us context sensitivity. We were able to add both keyword and full-text search capabilities. Site management is done using a source control system and a set of link check and HTML validators.
Rupel, Roberta A. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#21795
Why would anybody want to use JavaHelp? The answer is not necessarily obvious, especially to help authors.
Info Action (2002). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#19978
Using Standards to Build Quality into Online Help
The panelists present two cases of development of standards for online Help: one for mainframe database applications developed in ISPF and the other for technical engineering applications developed in Windows. The panelists focus on common principles to follow to make online Help 'fit for use,' and they show examples from the Help systems and from the two standards manuals.
Bibus, Connie M. 'C.J.', Kristy J. Dale, Donna M. Marcotte, Joyce B. Davis and Monica Hoganson. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#22853
Using the Internet/lntranet to Control Documentation Costs
The document you have been writing and editing has finally been approved and is ready to be printed and distributed. Copies will go to selected people in your headquarters, to all offices your company operates and to your customers, all of whom have Internet capability. But should it be printed?
Sidman, Robert R. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Documentation>Online
#20346
Technical communicators today cope with incomplete and changing software, aggressive schedules, multiple deliverables, and a reduced staff in diverse locations. Using Info Slicing, these challenges can be met effectively. Info Slicing promotes communication within the project team, shortens the writing effort, and minimizes document maintenance.
Burkholder, Anne C. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#30247
Warp Speed: Creating Online Information for OS/2
Information Presentation Facility (IPF) is the tagging language you use to tag, compile, and debug online information in an OS/2 environment. This workshop This part of the workshop looks at using error log files to examines how to use IPF, provides code samples, and points participants to reference material.
Coe, Marlana A. and Leigh Waller. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#20120
Weaning Your Audience Off a Paper Diet
The transition to an on-line documentation system was not without its obstacles–obstacles of an emotional, rather than of a technical or administrative nature. We realized that as technical communicators, we must also consider the emotions of our audience or users, particularly the emotional issue of change, when making the great technological leap to electronic documentation.
Huth, Elizabeth Ann and Kevin J. Schmidt. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Online>Emotions
#28028
MAML is part of a new approach to help in Windows Vista. This approach is both more integrated with the software and more focused on user tasks. MAML provides a structre in which you can write user assistance information, which can then be presented to the user in a variety of locations.
Tech Write Tips (2006). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
