[STC-Austin-general] Help Systems, Delivery and Tools Questions

[Mary Connor]

Howdy, Susan!

http://www.hat-matrix.com/compare_hats/

Yes, as client-side Help keeps moving server-side due to the stampeding of products to the web, compiled Help (chm) is diminishing. We use Author-it and stopped delivering HTML Help years ago, when product changes forced us to move out of client installs. Our help is now plain HTML that we host on our own corporate server, and it includes downloadable Word versions of all the content, for users to customize and print as needed: http://docs.imis.com. We had to invent our own system for having the product link out to it.

I don't think it's a tools issue you're struggling with so much as a "what do I deliver now?" question. No? Going server-side means figuring out new strategies for search, context sensitivity, updating, etc. Most of the tools can get you the output you need, when you've nailed the destination. But it's not going to be as straightforward as tossing Dev a CHM file, alas.

Cheers,
Mary

:. Mary Connor - Information Development - Advanced Solutions Intl. .:
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From:Susan Million

Hi All,

This is my first-time posting to the list, but I read the list every day, and I see how helpful you've been to others!!!

In your experience are companies moving away from application-integrated help systems to server-based help? For example, server-based help resides on the company's web server and is not installed locally. (Think of the last time you went looking for help on a Windows product. Their help links take you to an MS support page located somewhere on their Support site.) With application-integrated help, the help system is installed locally when you install the software. So are you aware of a trend with moving towards server-based help systems vs. application-based help systems?

Some general tools questions:

What are people using these days to create HTML help systems?  Is anyone using RoboHelp, and what do they think of it these days?

Does anyone know of a good website where several of the most popular tools are rated or compared?

I've had my head buried in the "AuthorIT sand" for the last 4 years!