RE: Dreamweaver to create HTML Help?

[jgarison -at- ide -dot- com]

We are using it, and so far, it seems like a fine alternative to HATTs.

There is a new sub-culture evolving around this idea. Ben Weisner is a
leading light. For more information, check out 

http://www.helpweavers.com


And ... Browser-independent does NOT mean that you can't use CSS. Our
product is a browser-based application, and requires up-to-date browsers,
all of which support CSS, Java, and JavaScript.

We don't feel like we're giving up much by abandoning HTMLHelp which is NOT
an option for us as not all our users are on PCs or use IE. We use a search
engine instead of an index. It's much more web-like which is what our users
are accustomed to.

We'll let you know how it pans out ... Come see the bleeding edge session
I'll be giving at the STC Annual Conference in Chicago and see if we made
it!

John

John Garison
Documentation Manager
IDe
150 Baker Avenue Extension
Concord, MA 01742

Voice: 978-402-2907
Fax:    978-318-9376
http://www.ide.com



-----Original Message-----
From: Hart, Geoff [mailto:Geoff-H -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA]
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2001 3:52 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Dreamweaver to create HTML Help?


Sybille Sterk would <<... like to use Dreamweaver to create
"browser-independent" HTML help. Does anybody on the list use Dreamweaver
for this purpose? Any tips and tricks you'd like to share would be very
welcome.>>

I'm not sure that Dreamweaver's the right tool for the job. First off, you
have to distinguish between a file containing helpful information presented
in HTML format (which is what Dreamweaver would inherently create) and
actual HTMLHelp; the latter has various features that aren't present in
simple HTML (e.g., context IDs so that the software can link directly to the
correct topic at the press of a button by the user). I don't doubt that you
could fake HTMLHelp features using straight HTML, but it would be far more
awkward than using a dedicated tool like RoboHelp or ForeHelp. Among other
things, you'd need an additional tool such as HTML Indexer to create a
useful index.

Second, there's no such thing as "browser independence" unless you stick to
very simple, very vanilla HTML. That's actually a reasonably good design
decision from the user's standpoint, but be aware that you also sacrifice
some of the more powerful features of HTML (e.g., CSS) by doing so.

--Geoff Hart, FERIC, Pointe-Claire, Quebec



-----Original Message-----
Dear All,

I couldn't find anything in the archives, but I'd like to use Dreamweaver 
to create "browser-independent" HTML help. Does anybody on the list use 
Dreamweaver for this purpose? Any tips and tricks you'd like to share would 
be very welcome.

Thanks in advance,

Sybille

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-Based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver 4 ($100 STC Discount)
**WEST COAST LOCATIONS** San Jose (Mar 1-2), San Francisco (Apr 16-17)
http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.

Sponsored by ForeFront, Inc., maker of ForeHelp Help authoring tools
for print, WinHelp, HTML Help, JavaHelp, and cross-platform InterHelp
See www.forehelp.com for more information and free evaluation downloads

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