RE: Quick and Dirty Online Help tool (Freeware?) needed

["Hemstreet, Deborah" <DHemstreet -at- kaydon -dot- com>]

 Hi All,

I didn't specify as I wasn't sure, but I think we'd prefer a compiled
.CHM help - easiest to deal with... I will look into Windows workshop. 

Thanks!

Deborah

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+dhemstreet=kaydon -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+dhemstreet=kaydon -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Combs, Richard
Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2008 2:01 PM
To: Hemstreet, Deborah; TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: Quick and Dirty Online Help tool (Freeware?) needed

Hemstreet, Deborah wrote: 
 
> I am doing some documents (work instructions) in Word 2003.
> 
> I would like to try something different and have these files fed into
> something that could spit out a quick and dirty help file. The idea
> would be that if the PTB (powers that be), like the idea, I could then
> have them purchase a tool (hopefully not a costly one as this is not a
> project requiring all the bells and whistles of the 21st centry, they
> only got their first computer 10 years ago, and most people here still
> work in Word like a typewriter)... But I digress.
> 
> Could anyone suggest a tool that I could use to try to get the idea
> through the PTB?

Is this help intended for Windows PCs only? If so, you can create HTML
Help (a .chm file) with just Word and Microsoft's free HTML Help
Workshop (using Word as your HTML editor; alternatively, export the
contents from Word to some other HTML editor). 

The online help for HTML Help Workshop is pretty good, and explains
everything from creating the project file, TOC, Index, etc. (you can do
all these in the built-in text editor) to compiling the help. It's a
more manual process than using the big and expensive help authoring
tools (you set project options, window sizes, etc., by editing text
files), but for a small demonstration project, it should be just what
you need.

HTH!
Richard



Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
------





^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

ComponentOne Doc-To-Help gives you everything you need to author and 
publish quality Help, Web, and print content. Perfect for technical 
authors, developers, and policy writers. Download a FREE trial.
http://www.componentone.com/DocToHelp/

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

ComponentOne Doc-To-Help gives you everything you need to author and 
publish quality Help, Web, and print content. Perfect for technical 
authors, developers, and policy writers. Download a FREE trial.
http://www.componentone.com/DocToHelp/

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

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