Windows 95 help?

[scot <scot -at- HCI -dot- COM -dot- AU>]

We are now in the situation of having to develop a "32 bit" Windows help
system (this being the client's specification but they really mean Windows 95).

Previously for this client, and nearly all other help development projects
we have used the Help Development Kit (HDK) version 2.x from Virtual Media
because of its superiority to other such third party tools (e.g. Robohelp or
Dr. Help), and its advanced features such as its very clever TOC system.

Virtual Media tell us that a 32 bit version will be available in possibly
August although it may be up to two months late, and a lot depend on
Microsoft's actual release date for Windows 95. These dates are not likely
to satisfy our client, and we may be forced to adopt a different tool.

What we need to know is how different the Windows 95 help system is, and
what our options are. Basically we will need to upgrade the existing help
system and we are unwilling to lose HDK's advanced features which we used to
help sell our help development services to the client in the first place. Is
it possible to convert features between different third party tools? (I
would be surprised, actually).

We'd also like to know how different the new 'plain vanilla' Microsoft help
development method is from the Windows 3.1 version. I would not be surprised
if it completely different to before even if it still requires the use of
(as in fact I expect) proprietry Microsoft software for its development.

Also a list of new and interesting features in the Windows 95 help engine
would be handy. Does it handle Animations - AVI or QuickTime - 256 colour
bitmaps - clickable bitmaps - sound - etc.

thanks, scot.

PS it is OK to talk tech to me.
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