TECH: Can Acrobat replace WinHlp32.exe?

["Branchaud, Paul" <pbranchaud -at- UTSOFT -dot- COM>]

(posting to TECHWR-L and WINHLP-L, apologies if you get my query twice)

Here's a question that has me well and truly stumped. We are currently
planning the documentation outline for our latest product. One of the
outstanding isssues is context-sensitive online help (we are delivering
on the W95/NT platform). Given our current deadlines, online help might
not make it before version 2. I suggested that, even though help might
not make it for version 1, we include the context strings and ID numbers
in the application now, to prevent messing with the code when it's time
to create online help. Initial reaction to my proposal was good and
deemed logical.

Another solution that has been proposed (by the developers, not me) is
to use the PDF files we will be creating for the user guides. This way,
we would get some form of online help for version 1. I am not keen on
this idea primarily because user guides and online help use different
writing styles. Pointing to the .PDF files would be messy and not that
helpful, IMHO.

What we need to know is whether the application can make a call to
Acrobat Reader and go to a specific marker in the same way one would
call a specific topic in WinHelp. My belief is that *maybe* Acrobat can
be opened by calling a specific topic (how do I do that, BTW), but it
can only be done through a macro in the .HLP file, not directly from the
app.

Has anyone ever tried using Acrobat reader as an online help viewer
(using source .PDF of course)?

As always, I am in your debt well in advance,

Paul
----------------
Paul Branchaud                  Technical Writer
pbranchaud -at- utsoft -dot- com           UtiliSoft Inc.
(514) 747-1400 Ext. 211         555, Dr. Frederik-Philips, Suite 210
ICQ: 4161320                    Saint-Laurent, QC Canada H4M 2X4
                    "Out of my mind. Back in five minutes..."


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