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Subject:RE: [great help example for a web-based app] From:"Sella Rush" <srush -at- MusicNet -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 23 Oct 2002 15:39:24 -0700
Look at www.apptechsys.com and go to the web app demo. (For mysterious reasons, I can't access that particular site from where I am, so I can't give you the exact address.)
Once in the demo (unrestricted access), click on the help button. If things are still as they were, you should get a help topic for that specific page plus a link to the generic help system, which I think is straight html made to look like HTMLHelp.
I did this for this company a year ago. There is both good and bad about it. I like the context-sensitive aspect. This is possible because the web app uses server-side scripting to dynamically create page content, including the button links; we used a page identifier to determine which help page should be served up as the help link.
Re my choices about formats, I would probably have chosen to use a java applet to simulate the look of HTMLHelp (ala robohelp's WebHelp substitute) but the client was the Army and they were death on anything Java due to security concerns. Determining your audience system limitations can severely limit your options, which is probably why huge sites like Amazon go with a straight html solution.
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