Re: Dreamweaver as Online Help Authoring Tool

[dmbrown -at- brown-inc -dot- com]

John Wolf wrote:
> 
> I see that Macromedia is promoting Dreamweaver as a complete online help
> authoring solution.

HTML Help is just HTML with a few supporting text files--feed the whole lot into a compiler (free from MS and included with pretty much every HAT) and out comes a .chm file.

JavaHelp is the same--plain HTML, a few supporting text files, and the free JavaHelp development kit.

All other help written in HTML is just that--HTML.

There's not a reason in the world why you couldn't use Dreamweaver or any other HTML editor--including Notepad!--to create any of these formats.

What the HATs do is provide tools that (supposedly) simplify the creation of the support files by preventing you from having to know the precise format required by the JavaHelp or HTML Help "compiler."  (I know, neither one is really a compiler, but it's easier to pretend they are.)

>
> Has anyone used it for this -- as a standalone product
> to develop html help (Windows)?

Lots of people do.

>
> Is this a product extension? What's required for this?

Nothing but the "compiler" for the target format (HTML Help or JavaHelp).

One of the tools that can ease certain aspects of development is the list sponsor, below!  :)

> 
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--David

=============================
 David M. Brown - Brown Inc.
    dmbrown -at- brown-inc -dot- com
=============================

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