RE: [docbook-apps] DocBook XML and helpsets

["Peter Ring" <PRI@magnus.dk>]

Here's one open-source option:
  http://www.omsys.com/dcl/omnihelp.htm

I don't know if anyone has adapted the DocBook XSL stylesheets to OmniHelp's file format. It is conceptually similar to Microsoft help system and JavaHelp, som it should be possible.

Bristol Technology offer Hyperhelp, which is WinHelp compatible:
  http://www.bristol.com/hyperhelp/index.html

RoboHelp could be used to create help systems in the cross-platform browser-based WebHelp format. Here's an introduction to WebHelp:
  http://www.knopf.com/resources/help/webhelp.html

Flare is in many ways a successor to RoboHelp, much to WYSIWYG for my taste, but may turn into something worthwhile:
  http://www.madcapsoftware.com/products/flare.asp

A good site to find help-related resources:
  http://www.winwriters.com/

Some HAT surveys:
  http://www.winwriters.com/restools.htm
  http://www.mshelpwiki.com/index.php?page=ToolVendors

You should also ask on techwriter lists, eg.
  http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/

To the best of my knowledge, there are few open-source cross-platform browser-based help systems available. Most commercial HAT offerings are tied to Microsoft Word. There's room for improvement here.

Kind regards
Peter Ring



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alan C. Oehler [mailto:alan@xensource.com]
> Sent: 4. april 2006 23:22
> To: docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: [docbook-apps] DocBook XML and helpsets
> 
> 
> I've just worked through a project for which I generated a JavaHelp
> helpset from my source doc via the DocBook XSL. Now, moving 
> forward, for
> various reasons we are likely to switch our application from being a
> Java client app to a Ajax-style web app that will run in 
> Mozilla and IE.
> 
> 
> It's been a while since I was using RoboHelp for making help 
> systems and
> I'm a bit fuzzy on where or not there are any other decent frameworks
> within which one can display help-like content in any 
> browser. Microsoft
> WinHelp and HTMLHelp are out because they require the Microsoft
> help-viewing machinery; so is JavaHelp and OracleHelp; I know of a
> Mozilla Help Viewer but it's usable just in Mozilla... Netscape Help
> died a long time ago as far as I can tell...
> 
> The closest thing I've seen to what I want is the WebHelp 
> framework that
> RoboHelp made, but last I messed with it (almost two years ago) it was
> fairly buggy and proprietary to whit. I can't seem to find any
> open-source type of help frameworks like this using JavaScript.
> 
> What are people using these days? I notice that, for example, Google
> Maps has a help system that basically looks more like a 
> traditional web
> site, sans the collapsing/expanding TOC and other helpset niceties...
> Maybe that's my best bet...
> 
> Any tips or advice from anyone doing similar things?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Alan C. Oehler
> Sr. Technical Writer
> XenSource, Inc.
> 
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