Re: Alternative Help method suggestions

[Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>]

If you use DocBook or DITA XML, then your source is not tied to any
particular tool. Given free choice, I'd probably use XMetal as an
authoring tool.

Is this for a Web-based application or what? I like OmniHelp for
Web-based help. It's open-source, but I haven't yet seen any tools
except MIF2Go (an add-on for FrameMaker) that generate it.

Eclipse is open-source, but using it for Web help for a non-Eclipse
application adds a lot of overhead.

A wiki could be a good medium for Web help, though I haven't yet seen
one with the kind of navigation people are used to (TOC, search,
index).

I don't like the proprietary Web help formats generated by Adobe
RoboHelp, MadCap Flare, and ePublisher / WebWorks.

I don't know what you mean by "wiki document control and generation of
help files online"--using a wiki and generating help seem like two
very different options to me.

On Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 2:11 PM, Robert Courtney <bobsc1 -at- earthlink -dot- net> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I am looking at alternative help development methods not tied to any one
> particular company and that can give quick access to users. One
> alternative suggestion is using wiki document control and generation of
> help files online. I am not sure if anyone is familiar with this
> process. I could use any information on this idea. Pros/Cons, other methods.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help  
2009 tips, tricks, and best practices.
http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/

Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/

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