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Re: Converting Word manual to online help

Subject: Re: Converting Word manual to online help
From: quills -at- airmail -dot- net
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 16:19:22 -0600


At 4:55 PM -0500 3/25/02, Ruby Isaacs wrote:

What is the best way to convert a 150-page user guide that was created in Microsoft Word into online help for a software program?

My client is unsatisfied with the approximately 15 online help topics created by a very busy programmer. She thinks the technical writer can easily convert the user guide into online help. Although, I've been contracted to edit the paper document the novice technical writer has asked me how to convert the Word files into help files.

It's been a while since I maintained a help system using RoboHELP and I think (hope) the technology has evolved.

Of course there is a limited budget. So I don't think the manager will buy an $500+ HTML help authoring tool.

Any ideas?


This is not an inconsequential task.

First, was the user guide intended for online use? If not, it won't make very good online help.

Context sensitive help, which is probably what your client is looking for, is not going to be satisfied with what is found in the user guide, without some or a lot of modification.

As to the mechanics, sure, it can be done.

It won't be easy, nor will it be cheap.

Scott

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References:
Converting Word manual to online help: From: Ruby Isaacs

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