Comparing Help Authoring Tools

Help authoring tools are big in today’s market. Matthew Ellison quoted one source as saying that there were 208 Help authoring tools. A veteran with over 10 years Help authoring experience, Ellison shared information on selecting authoring tools.

Boos, Diane and Matthew Ellison. STC Puget Sound (2004). Presentations>Documentation>Software>Help

Creating Help in the Web 2.0 Age

This is a presentation titled 'Creating Help in the Web 2.0 Age' that Neil Perlin gave to the Suncoast Chapter in Tampa, Florida in February 2007. Neil talks about what Web 2.0 is, and how help can be delivered on the fly according to specific user requests.

Perlin, Neil E. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Presentations>Documentation>Help>Podcasts

Creating Online Help in a Multiplatform Environment  

With the explosion of online help authoring tools (primarily in the Windows® environment) companies are clamoring for the ability to produce online help on multiple platforms. This demonstration presents one solution to the problem of creating online help in a multiplatform environment. We will demonstrate the process of translating FrameMaker™ files from the Macintosh® to Windows NT®, and ultimately, to UNIX®.

Shelton, Jan D., Anne Navarro and Robbie Fontenot. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Documentation>Help>Adobe FrameMaker

Designing a Supplementary Web-Based Online Help System: A Case Study  

Computerized Medical Systems, Inc. (CMS) has implemented an extensive online help system based on HTML for its FOCUS radiation therapy planning system. Netscape Navigator was selected as the browser because FOCUS is based on the UNIX platform and Netscape was the only HTML browser available for UNIX.

Watson, Frank. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Documentation>Online>Help

Designing an Online Help System Before the Interface is Ready  

Developing a Windows online help system that clients can use effectively and bringing it in on time and within budget is a challenging task. You can dramatically improve your chances of success by doing the following: Develop help as sofnvae is being developed (and even before!); Chunk information for easy reading and to facilitate reuse by other writers; Create design and style guidelines to cut down peer review and editing time; Develop and use information webs to cut down on technical review time; Integrate the information web and the user interface to complete your help system.

Henselmann, Mary Anne. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>Documentation>Help

Designing Multi-Platform Online Help: A Demonstration  

Designing multi-platform online help can be made more efficient by placing special effort in the design of the development plan. If the development plan is broken up into four key elements the resulting multi-platform design will yield a great amount of latitude for both maintenance and future enhancements. During the demonstration we will discuss our use of these elements to design both online and hardcopy documentation to support both a mainframe and a windows interface.

Taylor, Shhonn D. and Pat Straw. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Documentation>Help

Is Online “lnline” with Your Users’ Needs?  

In preparation for the next release of our flagship so~are product, the International Publications Department at Waters Corporation wanted to assess the usefulness of our current product software documentation with the idea of moving the next generation of documentation in the direction requested by our customers. Based on extensive customer contact, we formulated a plan to dramatically revamp the documentation, namely to replace the paper user’s guides and transform our existing online Help into a comprehensive Online User’s Guide.

Kroeber, Kurt A. and David L. Kelley. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>Documentation>Help

The Key for Effective Documentation: Answer the User’'s Real Question  

To successfully communicate to users, documentation must do more than meet the user’s information needs, it must present the information in the same way the user processes the information. The design of sofhYare and its accompanying documentation must be reconceived so that the design is done porn the problem-solver’s pornt of view. Effectively designing documentation requires the writer to: start with the user, answer the user’s rest questions, optimize all documentation as a smgle umt, allowfor user mistakes, and consider how you present the information.

Albers, Michael J. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>Documentation>Help

Low-End Online Documentation Viewing Systems: Why and How  

Online documentation is now widely accepted for its convenience and cost savings. However, some small, non-Windows shops find very few offerings in the market place for online documentation software.

Sonnenberg, Beth Apple. STC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>Documentation>Help>Online

An Overview of HTML-based Help  

HTML...HTML Help...HTML-based help...WebHelp... JavaHelp...Oracle Help...what does it all mean? There are so many online help options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and confused. This paper discusses the difference between HTML Help, WebHelp, JavaHelp, and Oracle Help. Specifically, it explains each help technology’s features and limitations, the user requirements, and best use.

DeLoach, Scott. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Documentation>Help

A “Real World” Look at Windows Help Authoring Tools  

Aha, you say, you’ve finally gotten permission to go online. And your boss has even allocated enough precious-budget dollars to buy the right hardware and software to do the job. How hard can if be to find a good authoring tool, you think. And then you start to receive the product literature from n developers of Windows help authoring tools . . .

Zubak, Cheryl Lockett. STC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>Documentation>Help>Online

Software Reuse, Processes—Essentials for the Trainer’s Toolbox and Single-Source, Multimode Document Delivery  

Traditionally, custom document production begins with an empty “New” electronic document and with the writer confined to the paper delivery mode. Networked software reuse facilities can allow writers to avoid this requirement of continually starting from scratch. Hence, net worked software reuse may provide a framework for efficiently creating custom documents in either academic or industrial settings for single-source, multimode delivery (Reece, 1993- 1994). More importantly, software reuse facilities may also provide common ground for technical training within a variety of computing environments. This paper defines software reuse, recommends a process for the development of documents in a software reuse facility, and provides information on quality characteristics for evaluating such software.

Reece, Gloria A. and H.J. Scheiber. STC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>Documentation>Help

Top Ten Blunders  

Common goofs, mistakes, bloopers, mal mots, slip ups, lapses, oversights, gaffes, and 'foe paws' in online documentation and Help.

Horton, William K. III. STC Orange County (1998). Presentations>Documentation>Help

Using Word to Create Windows Help  

One way to create Windows help is by using Word for Windows. To begin, you must become familiar with the help concepts of topics and hyperlinks. Then, you create these components: projectile, header file, and source files. Source files are created using Word for Windows. Next create the actual help file by compiling the elements you have created. Finally, view and debug the results.

Van Sant, Carol J. STC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>Documentation>Help>Online

Where is the Instruction in Online Help? Designing it Right the First Time  

One of the ironic things about online help systems is that they are very often not helpful and even increase the user's frustration and stress level. A consequence of this increased frustration sometimes results in the rejection of the software. One solution is to increase the effectiveness of online help systems by designing them from an instructional design perspective. Some of the things we can provide users include: imperative, task-focused procedures; graphic feedback; access to redundant instructions; links to tutorial practice; philosophical and conceptual explanations for “why” they are completing specific tasks.

Pratt, Jean A. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>Documentation>Instructional Design>Help