Re: CHMs, DFDs, and TGIF

Subject: Re: CHMs, DFDs, and TGIF
From: Tony Chung <tonyc -at- tonychung -dot- ca>
To: TECHWR-L Writing <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:04:36 -0800

On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 2:10 PM, Combs, Richard
<richard -dot- combs -at- polycom -dot- com>wrote:

> Tony Chung wrote:
>
> > I don't know what MS was thinking by deprecating the CHM in favour of
> > Windows HTML help. CHMs work great for small help systems. HTML Help,
> > and to some extent, Eclipse Help Center and AIR, are great for
> > presenting standalone web-based help, with an offline cost of about 20MB
> for
> > a run-time web server.
> >
>
> But CHMs _are_ Microsoft HTML Help (the .chm extension derives from
> "compiled HTML"). They're what the Microsoft Help Workshop creates.
>

Okay, get me on a technicality. HTML is used in both, only CHMs are compiled
by HTML Help Workshop. The "new" HTML help provides a separate help viewer
to replace the compiled system, because a security feature preventing code
execution from local file systems breaks the CHM. (Easily fixed by a
registry hack, but still... why implement security only to disable it?)
That's why I called the CHM deprecated, regardless of how popular the format
is.


> The deprecated help format is WinHelp (.hlp files). About the time Vista
> came out, IIRC, MS made a bunch of noise about replacing the compiled
> HTML format with a new XML-based help format, but that still hasn't
> happened. Check out this MS Developer Network topic:
>
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms728460%28VS.85%29.aspx
>
>
I do like their online help viewer, though. That and Eclipse are probably
the direction we're heading. I echo Robert's complaint about Adobe AIR. I
only mention it because it's just another RIA option.



> Richard G. Combs
> Senior Technical Writer
> Polycom, Inc.
> richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
> 303-223-5111
> ------
> rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
> 303-777-0436
> ------
>
>
--
Tony Chung: Creative Communications
Cell: +1-604-710-5164
Email: tonyc -at- tonychung -dot- ca * Web: http://tonychung.ca
Skype: tonychung.ca * GTalk/MSN: tonychung -dot- ca -at- gmail -dot- com
Twitter: @techcom * Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tonychung.ca
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Are you looking for one documentation tool that does it all? Author,
build, test, and publish your Help files with just one easy-to-use tool.
Try the latest Doc-To-Help 2009 v3 risk-free for 30-days at:
http://www.doctohelp.com/

Help & Manual 5: The all-in-one help authoring tool. True single- sourcing --
generate 8 different formats and as many different versions as you need
from just one project. Fast and intuitive. http://www.helpandmanual.com/

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.

Please move off-topic discussions to the Chat list, at:
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/listinfo/techwr-l-chat


Follow-Ups:

References:
in search for better tools: From: GILLIOTTE Valérie
Re: in search for better tools: From: Robert Lauriston
RE: in search for better tools: From: Ed
Re: in search for better tools: From: Robert Lauriston
Re: in search for better tools: From: Bill Swallow
Re: in search for better tools: From: Robert Lauriston
RE: in search for better tools: From: Ed
CHMs, DFDs, and TGIF: From: Combs, Richard
Re: CHMs, DFDs, and TGIF: From: Tony Chung
RE: CHMs, DFDs, and TGIF: From: Combs, Richard

Previous by Author: Re: CHMs, DFDs, and TGIF
Next by Author: Re: Redneck step of the day...
Previous by Thread: RE: CHMs, DFDs, and TGIF
Next by Thread: RE: CHMs, DFDs, and TGIF


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads