Re: On-Line Help project--sorting it out

["Brian, Flaherty" <bflaher -at- INDCON -dot- COM>]

Some reflections, Hilary, about your questions regarding HTML Help and
web-based help:

1.  NetHelp is Netscape's implementation of web-based help.  HTML Help
is Microsoft's implementation of same.  Supposedly, there is talk of
Netscape abandoning its NetHelp and being able to support Microsoft's
HTML Help - but we're looking into the future here.

The *generic* web help is RoboHelp's WebHelp (favored for PC platforms)
and JavaHelp (for integration into a Java-based application).  (I like
to use the term *web help* as opposed to *online web help*.)  JavaHelp
is being touted by the Sun crowd, mostly for Unix and mainframe-based
Java applications.  While WebHelp ports okay to the Windows platform, I
do not know how it ports over to Macs, Unix systems and mainframes.

2.  Currently, until Netscape support for HTML Help is complete, I would
assume that


Navigator cannot fully render HTML Help.  IE 3.x can render HTML Help,
but you need certain libraries and Active X controls installed for it to
work (which can be obtained from the Microsoft website).  Since IE 4.x
provides full functionality, my advice to anyone wishing to implement
HTML Help is to upgrade to IE 4.x (unless they're fully dedicated to
Navigator or some non-Microsoft browser or solution).  Of course, if IE
3.x support has been installed for HTML Help, then any HTML Help system
could be devised in any IE version and should work in any IE version.

3.  I'm not a big advocate of FrontPage for developing any web-based
help.  I would advise


You to obtain RoboHelp or ForeHelp which can produce HTML Help systems
(or WebHelp-based systems).  (These products are shipped with
Microsoft's HTML Help Workshop, which contains the HTML Help Compiler.
But, if you're pretty schooled in HTML code and know some JavaScript,
you can download HTML Help Workshop free from Microsoft's web site.)

4.  Either one can handle graphics okay.  Do note that HTML Help files
are *compiled* (into files with the extension HCM).  FrontPage deals
with creating and editing HTML (HTM) files.  But HTML Help files are
compiled into HCM files (a proprietary Microsoft codec) which is already
available with RoboHTML, ForeHelp, and other commercial HTML Help tools.

5. Most commercial products follow the Microsoft rules for developing
WinHelp and HTML Help.  In general, you can create several RTF files
(HTML in the case of HTML Help) and combine them together via the Help
Project Files.  In WinHelp, the [FILES] section of your Help Project
File (HPJ) can combine several RTFs into one HLP file.  The same process
can be done in HTML Help in which several HTML source files can be
combined into one HCM file.  As I said before, most commercial products
that support HTML Help are shipped with Microsoft's HTML Help Workshop
(including RoboHelp) for developing and compiling HTML Help files.

6.  I would select RoboHTML and RoboHelp, only because I'm familiar and
comfortable with the RoboHelp suite.  But, I'm also acquainted with the
*internals* of developing both WinHelp and HTML Help systems that I can
probably just get by with Microsoft Help Workshop and Microsoft HTML
Help Workshop (but this would be doing WinHelp and HTML Help the *hard
way* -- not advisable for newbies).  There may be other products out
there more suitable for you, and you'd have to do your homework on this
one.

7.  Ask the client: Is your environment mixed (PCs, Macs, mainframes,
Unix boxes, etc.)?  Are you committed to one platform and browser
(Windows and IE)?  Do you plan on, either now  or in the future, to
develop any Java applications?  Do you (the client) have any preferences
in developing web-based help?  Has anyone in your
department/group/company  developed web-based help or thought about
developing web-based help?  (Ask these for starters.)


Brian Flaherty
ICS, Paramus, NJ (USA)

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