RTF to IPF Summary (long)

[mpriestley -at- VNET -dot- IBM -dot- COM]

Tools for Converting RTF to IPF
(Windows help to OS/2 help)

None of the tools received glowing reviews.  Conversions were
rarely trouble free.

The clear overall winner, however, is Smart tool from One Up.

This summary is based on an informal survey, and is not an
authoritative study.  If you have the time, evaluate the tools
yourself.  The same solution isn't right for everyone.

Conversion tips:
 IPF and RTF have different emphases: IPF is a content-based markup
 language, RTF is a presentation-based markup language.  No matter
 what tool you use, you will still likely have to edit the file
 afterwards.

 If you have the skills, writing your own conversion tool/set of
 macros, tailored to your docs, is probably the most efficient method.

 IPF and RTF have different strengths and limitations.  IPF limits
 a panel to 16000 words, spaces, and punctuation marks.  If you have
 super-long topics, you will have to manually break them up.

TOOLS SUMMARY:
------------------------------------------

HLPDK/PA, HyperText Suite
from HyperAct
Cost: ??
Contact: rloewy -at- hyperact -dot- com, http://www.hyperact.com
Positives:
- one source to create HTML, Windows help, and OS/2 IPF
- includes HWA 2.0 WYSIWYG editor
- part of a suite of products for singlesourcing help
Negatives:
- might have to be WINHLP first before it can be converted
- worked great on sample, not so great on real-life help file

---------------------------------------
HyperWise
from IBM
Cost: $295 US
Contact: 1-800-OS2-KWIK
Positives:
- slick, Forehelp-like
- includes WYSIWYG hypertext editor
- includes multimedia extensions for OS/2
- includes tutorial builder, with unlimited runtime distribution
- includes IPF/WIN viewer for viewing IPF under Windows
- also converts to HTML
Negatives:
- leaves all linking controls in the IPF file preceding headings and
  links
- emphasizes mechanics of hypertext, neglects to be a good writing tool
- generally not so great conversion
- not appropriate for large, in-depth help files
- all the positives have nothing to do with converting RTF to IPF

------------------------------------
Mirrors
see Smart tool

--------------------------------------
Smart tool (formerly Mirrors)
from One Up
(available on DevCon 7 - Developer's Connection Kit for OS/2 #7)
Cost: ca. $200 US
Contact: Vickie Petsch
 One Up Corporation
 1603 L.B.J. Freeway, Suite 200
 Dallas, TX 75234
 phone: 214-620-1123 or 800-678-0187
 fax: 214-620-9626
- part of a suite of tools for converting Windows apps to OS/2
- preferred
Positives:
- works with project (.hpj) file
- automatically references separate rtf files in proper order
- converts bitmap formats automatically (may not be necessary with new
  IPF compiler)
Negatives:
- still needs tweeking after conversion
- resulting ipf file is concatenation of all rtf files
- does not preserve heading hierarchies
- converted bitmaps are not named intuitively

----------------------------------
Universal Help
from Softronics in Colorado
Cost: expensive (?)
Contact: ??
Positives:
- none listed
Negatives:
- not useful
- expensive
- no evaluation copies

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END OF SUMMARY

Many thanks to the following for contributing to the summary:
  Michael Chartier (mikech -at- mks -dot- com)
  Susan Gallagher (sgallagher -at- starbasecorp -dot- com)
  Laurie Holtby (holtby -at- promis -dot- com)
  Debbie Lemasters (debbie -dot- lemasters -at- marcam -dot- com)
  Ron Loewy (rloewy -at- hyperact -dot- com)
  Victoria Mathews (vmathews -at- vnet -dot- ibm -dot- com)
  David Mitchell (mitchell -at- solar -dot- sky -dot- net)
  Emily Scarzenski (71220 -dot- 341 -at- compuserve -dot- com)
  Richard VerSteeg (richard -at- la -dot- digitalk -dot- com)




Michael Priestley
mpriestley -at- vnet -dot- ibm -dot- com
Disclaimer: speaking on my own behalf, not IBM's.