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RE: Web-based docs and help (from JavaHelp perhaps?)
Subject:RE: Web-based docs and help (from JavaHelp perhaps?) From:"Robart, Kay" <Kay -dot- Robart -at- tea -dot- state -dot- tx -dot- us> To:<dwyercl2 -at- verizon -dot- net>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:28:48 -0500
I personally haven't worked anywhere in years that delivered hardcopy
manuals, or any manuals at all. In a way, that is unfortunate, because I
think many users learn how to use new software better with a manual
because of the way information is organized. I personally prefer a
manual or a book to Help (especially the kind of help that insists on
searching a knowledge base for a gazillion topics when I just want to
know something simple (and oddly never lists the simple things first))
when I am learning, although Help is usually okay (except the
aforementioned) when I am familiar with the product.
I would think that if you already have HTML files, they could be
imported into almost any other HATT to create WebHelp.
Kay
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+kay -dot- robart=tea -dot- state -dot- tx -dot- us -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+kay -dot- robart=tea -dot- state -dot- tx -dot- us -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
On Behalf Of dwyercl2 -at- verizon -dot- net
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 11:10 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Web-based docs and help (from JavaHelp perhaps?)
Our company is developing a Web-based version of our product (which
is
a suite of several applications, Java-based and XML-powered) and
we're
looking at how to best present our documentation going forward. I
created our manuals in Structured FrameMaker (v7.2) and the customers
received the set of manuals (for the different apps, plus
programmer's
guide, install guide, and admin guide) in hardcopy and as PDFs that
they can install with the product. I created our help files using
JavaHelp for our product, with each app having its own helpset, which
were written as topic-based 'how-to' guides themselves for each
specific application.
I'd like to solicit opinions as to what the current thinking is on
hard-copy manuals (w/PDFs and help files) vs ONLY on-line PDFs and
help
files for the Web-based version of the product.
Also, does anyone know of any path of transition or transformation to
a
Web-based help system from JavaHelp? Or is there a not-too-difficult
way to leverage the JavaHelp files (specifically the HTML files) for
a
Web-based help system? Any suggestions on a Web-based help system
that
is platform independent (Windows and Linux)? Thanks!
Cheryl Dwyer
Industrial Medium Software, Inc.
McLean, VA
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with
Doc-To-Help.
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days. http://www.doctohelp.com
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Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help.
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days. http://www.doctohelp.com
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