Help Authoring Tool Options & Enhancements

I have been using RoboHelp x5 since 2005. For this year's
budget meeting I have to provide options/cost comparison on other
tools that are available. One thing that is of crucial importance
is that my background is not in computer/technical (no can do code,
scripting, etc), which is why RoboHelp was chosen in the first
place.
1) Can anyone offer an "addon products" to use with RoboHelp
(i.e. to enhance search function, etc)
2) Can anyone offer any advice (pros and/or cons) about any
of the following Help Author Tools?
• AuthorIT
• Doc-To-Help
• chm2web
• FAR
• Help & Manual
• Help Generator
• HelpConsole 2008
• HelpNDoc
• HelpServer
• HelpStudio
• HelpTron
• HyperText Studio
• Macrobject Word-2-CHM
• Macrobject Word-2-Web
• MadCap Flare
• Mif2Go
• WinCHM
Any assistance will be MUCH appreciated!
Cindi

Hi, Cindi,
If you're an experienced RoboHelp user and happy with the
output that you're getting with it then I would question the
benefit of switching to another help authoring tool. This may be
necessary in some circumstances —- for example, if you need
to output your help content in a format that RoboHelp does not
support, such as Microsoft Help 2.0 -— but for the most part
the time and effort required to learn the new tool and convert your
existing content for use with it will outweigh the benefits of
switching to it.
Here are a few notes on the tools you listed.
> chm2web
> Help Generator
> HelpConsole 2008
> HelpNDoc
> HelpServer
> HelpTron
> Macrobject Word-2-CHM
> Macrobject Word-2-Web
> WinCHM
I see little or no mention of these tools in any of the
Help-related forums that I frequent. This isn't necessarily a bad
thing, of course, but I believe it indicates that few professional
help authors are using them. I'd expect the cheaper of these tools
to provide few or no editing facilities, and in some cases they may
be designed to perform a single, very specific function, such as
compiling a set of existing HTML files into a .chm file.
> FAR
This is an excellent tool for performing search-and-replace
operations across a set of HTML files and compiling them into a
.chm file or Help 2.0 file. It provides no facilities for creating
and maintaining your topic content, however, so you should really
only view it as a potentially useful add-on to RoboHelp.
> Mif2Go
This is like WebWorks Publisher (not on your list): an
application that takes source content authored with Adobe
FrameMaker and converts it into a number of different help formats.
If you've already authored a lot of content with RoboHelp then
moving it into FrameMaker and setting up the Mif2Go or WebWorks
templates appropriately could be a big undertaking.
> HyperText Studio
This was up-and-coming five or ten years ago but, for
whatever reason, it seems to have dropped completely from view
(though I'm aware that it is still for sale).
> HelpStudio
This is a quite heavy-duty application that appears to be
more popular with software developers than with full-time help
authors. A "lite" version is now being given away with Visual
Studio.
> AuthorIT
> Doc-To-Help
> Help & Manual
> MadCap Flare
These are all significant players. I've used AuthorIT only
and, while it's certainly a powerful tool, the learning curve is
quite steep.
You can read detailed reviews of many of these applications
at the Writers UA site (
http://www.writersua.com).
Pete

Similar Messages

RoboHelp vs. SharePoint as Help Authoring Tool

Hello All,
I'm currently looking at RoboHelp to replace our old help
guides. Right now our guides are accessed though a 2 frame page
with an asp driven TOC on the left. The TOC just links to some html
pages that display in the right fram and others that are just
downloads of word, excel and PDF docs.
We will be purchasing Microsoft SharePoint next year and it
has been suggested to use that as our help authoring tool. I don't
know much about RoboHelp (other than I've been using the demo for a
couple days and love it's ease of use) and SharePoint and was
wondering if anyone out there has used both as a help authoring
tool and what your experiences were.
Are they pretty much similar, does anyone use them in
conjunction, any pros and cons to each?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to our community, mschallmo
I'm not a Sharepoint user and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn
Express last night, so I can't claim to be one.
I think you are comparing Spiders to Hedgehogs here. RoboHelp
is a Help Authoring Tool (HAT). Sharepoint is a product that might
display what RoboHelp created, but will not facilitate actually
creating the content you would later display as RoboHelp will.
Unless someone more experienced with Sharepoint steps up to
refute this, my understanding is that you would need
Both RoboHelp
AND Sharepoint. RoboHelp to author the content and
Sharepoint to present it to your users.
Cheers... Rick

Help authoring tools with SharePoint

Long time ago I used to use Help Authoring tools such as RoboHelp and ForeHelp. These were for Visual Basic applications. Wondering what would be a good help authoring tool for SharePoint 2010 applications that can help users understand SharePoint
features? Thanks so much.
Mayank

Try Component One’s Doc-To-Help (D2H)
http://blog.accusoft.com/2013/february/top-4-help-tools-that-integrate-with-sharepoint
http://blog.infotech.com/advisory/sharepoint-and-help-authoring/

Help Authoring Tool

I would like to add a comprehensive help feature to the application I'm creating. Ideally, I would like a "mini website" which the user would access via a link from the navigation bar. If it's possible, I'd like to program the link to be context sensitive (i.e. pull up help for the given page, but once the user is in the help website, he/she can use a search tool or jump to the Table Of Contents or Index).
Is there a help authoring tool (e.g. Adobe's Robohelp or something similar) that works particularly well with APEX? Is there something built into APEX that I haven't found yet? (note: I'm new to APEX programming). Any advice on any of the tools would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Rob

APEX includes built-in features to develop a help system for your application.
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E17556_01/doc/user.40/e15517/app_comp.htm#CHDCDBFB

8.6.1 HELP and TOOLS- OPTIONS not working

Hi, after installing 8.6.1 I'm not able to access help for any function, except on tookit functions. The context help works, but there is no detailed help (except Toolkit functions). If I access LabVIEW help, the window shows the tree on the right, but when I click on any of the items no help appears in the window on the right.
Also when I click on tools->options it searches for <helpdir>\_launchhelp.vi which it never finds, so I cannot change any of LabVIEW's options either.
I installed using the Developer Suite DVD's, I do not think there was an explicit option to select Help. I installed to D:\program files, would it be an issue if you don't install to C:?
I uninstalled previous versions before installing 8.6.1.
Any ideas?
Message Edited by AnthonV on 05-20-2009 03:00 AM
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Hello,
It seems you're installation in corrupt to some extent.
You can repair you're installation by going to: Control panel->Software->National Instruments. Then you get a dialog in which you can select LabVIEW 8.6.1 and REPAIR.
If it still doesn't work, you can always contact your local sales office for support.
Regards,
André
Using whatever version of LV the customer requires. (LV5.1-LV2012) (www.carya.nl)

How to trap F1 (help) when "Tools - Options" is active

Hi there. I already posted this question previously with no appropriate response. I wouldn't normally post it again but I'm justifiably losing my patience. I can find no way to trap F1 (help) when someone activates my program's options via "Tools
-> Options". This is supported in add-ins via "EnvDTE.IDTToolsOptionsPage.OnHelp()" but after spending countless hours hunting for how to do this in a VSPackage (spinning my wheels for days now), I have yet to find an answer. Would someone
from MSFT care to enlighten me on how to pull this off. I simply need to intercept F1 so I can launch a ".chm" file when my options are showing under "Tools -> Options". Thank you.
Larry (25+ years on MSFT platforms, mostly in C/C++)

Hi Ed,
Thanks very much for your response. I'll look into this and hopefully there's something that can be done. Am anxiously looking forward to your own results as well. I have looked into other possibilities however, like overriding "DialogPage.OnActivate()"
and trying to set the focus to my options page, where I then have control (so trapping F1 would be easy). This isn't doable either though based on my testing. Changing the bindings to intercept "Help.F1Help" is also fraught with problems. Both these
ideas are hacks though, as would be trying to get underneath Visual Studio to trap F1 before it even gets control. Integrating my help into MSHelp isn't something I want to do either, not just because of the work involved, but because of the nature of my app.
My ".chm" file contains the help for my add-in (now VSPackage) as well as a standalone ".exe" that goes with it (which is run independently of VS). A single ".chm" file therefore serves both programs so two help systems isn't
viable. Note that even though add-ins will soon be obsolete, I honestly find it bewildering that MSFT would force developers to use their help system given that add-ins supported "EnvDTE.IDTToolsOptionsPage.OnHelp()". There should be an analogue
for this in a VSPackage since it's so basic. There's enough work involved having to convert an add-in to a VSPackage while still supporting older versions of VS (many programmers now have to deal with both depending on the version), but the fact that a VSPackage
doesn't even seem to support everything an add-in did (F1 in this case), means that MSFT has created difficult and expensive problems for many developers. This isn't directed at you of course (your help is certainly welcome and greatly appreciated), but I'm
at a loss to understand the business rationale for this. It may be easier for MSFT to deal with one system only now (VSPackages instead of add-ins), but it hurts many of its existing customers who have to deal with the fallout of this decision And honestly,
I see no immediate advantage to VSPackages over add-ins. Like so many other technologies before it, it's just a different way to do the same thing (both have their pros and cons). I'm not here to rant though, but it's just the frustration of having to spend
weeks on this one issue alone, in addition to all the other work required to convert an add-in to a VSPackage. I've had a stable, working add-in for years now and am being forced to convert it to a VSPackage with all the ensuing problems (time, expense, need
to support both technologies now, add-ins and VSPackages, as well as unknown future problems, etc). At the end of the day though, my customers will see no difference in the program. So what was the point of going through this exercise. I (and many others no
doubt) are going through this grief only because MSFT has given us no choice.
Larry (25+ years on MSFT platforms, mostly in C/C++)

Is there an HTML help authoring tool for LV?

Ideally one tool fits all, LabView, C# and MSVC++.
I know RoboHelp is a good tool for non-LV languages, does any one know other good tools? Thanks

The standard Common User Access (CUA) states that the key F1 will open help. Unfortunatly you cannot associate this key with a help file and topic as you can in other development systems.
On windows systems the behaviour seem to be common with what I have tested with MS Outlook, MS Internet explorer, LV and my favourite Help authouring tool (HAT). All open the default topic of the help file.
On IBMs AS /400, now iSeries, F1 will open a window which depends on the field where the cursor is. On GUI system this is related to the control who has the key focus. If the cursor is outside any field a help window explaining the current screen will be opened.
LV allows you to simulate this using the event structure. Make a event case for "Key up". Look into help for scan codes and how the keys are mapped to the values in this case. This event exists for the VI and for each control/indicator. If you have detected a F1 key you can open the help file with the corresponding topic.
The other way of context sensitiv help is Shift-F1. This works different in different applications. MS Outlook will open a popup window depending on the part where the mouse cursor is. MS IE will open the default topic of the help. My HAT will change the cursor and when you click somewhere you get a corresponding popup window. LV will ignore this key. The best way LV has for that is the "Tip" or "Tip Strip".
I think that NI will not make a new property to VIs and controls containing help file information and to associate the F1 key with that properties because you can connect F1 to a control using Key Navigation. This is another method of providing help. Place a control outside the visible aera and connect it with F1 using key navigation. This way you can open a help file with a topic with the context sensitivity of the window.
Another thing I have to comment is that why will you use HTML files instead of HTML based help (Win98, this is the same help LV uses)? If you have a medium sized application you will have to be careful to deploy a lot of files (more than 30 I would expect, 1 for ech topic and two or three for the frame, navigation and table of contents). You have to take into concern various browsers (4 Versions of MS IE, some versions of Netscape, some versions of Opera) with various versions of JavaScript if you will use a dynamic table of contents. And you will loose such things like Search and Favourites. Win98-Help looks always the same because there is only one viewer installed with every Windows and there are no third party products doing some things different. The only answer I would really accept is you are not on a windows platform.
Waldemar
Waldemar
Using 7.1.1, 8.5.1, 8.6.1, 2009 on XP and RT
Don't forget to give Kudos to good answers and/or questions

Need help authorizing tool with root privileges

So i've read apples docs on AuthorizationServices many times but they're examples leave a lot out (or maybe im just overlooking things) Can anyone provide a simple example of how to give an application root privileges, im trying to create a cleaning tool that removes caches etc.

You can't really "give an application root privileges". You can execute a tool with root privileges. I use the following:
#import "Authorization.h"
#import <Security/Authorization.h>
#import <Security/AuthorizationTags.h>
@implementation Authorization
// Constructor.
- (id) init
self = [super init];
if(self)
AuthorizationFlags flags = kAuthorizationFlagDefaults;
OSStatus status =
AuthorizationCreate(
0, kAuthorizationEmptyEnvironment, flags, & myAuthorizationRef);
if(status != errAuthorizationSuccess)
@throw
[NSException
exceptionWithName: @"AuthorizationCreateFailure"
reason: [NSString stringWithFormat: @"Error code: %d", status]
userInfo: nil];
return self;
// Destructor.
- (void) dealloc
if(myAuthorizationRef)
AuthorizationFree(myAuthorizationRef, kAuthorizationFlagDefaults);
[super dealloc];
// Execute a privileged task.
// Returns YES if the task executed successfully, NO otherwise.
- (BOOL) run: (NSString *) executable
withArguments: (NSArray *) arguments
output: (NSString **) output
AuthorizationItem items = { kAuthorizationRightExecute, 0, 0, 0 };
AuthorizationRights rights = { 1, & items };
AuthorizationFlags flags =
kAuthorizationFlagDefaults
| kAuthorizationFlagInteractionAllowed
| kAuthorizationFlagPreAuthorize
| kAuthorizationFlagExtendRights;
OSStatus status = AuthorizationCopyRights(
myAuthorizationRef, & rights, 0, flags, 0);
if(status != errAuthorizationSuccess)
@throw
[NSException
exceptionWithName: @"AuthorizationCopyRightsFailure"
reason: [NSString stringWithFormat: @"Error code: %d", status]
userInfo: nil];
char ** args = (char **)malloc([arguments count] + 1);
int index = 0;
for(NSString * argument in arguments)
args[index++] = (char *)[argument UTF8String];
args[index] = 0;
FILE * pipe = 0;
flags = kAuthorizationFlagDefaults;
status =
AuthorizationExecuteWithPrivileges(
myAuthorizationRef,
[executable UTF8String],
flags,
args,
& pipe);
free(args);
if(output)
NSMutableString * results = [NSMutableString new];
char buf[128];
while(true)
int bytesRead = read (fileno(pipe), buf, sizeof(buf) - 1);
if(bytesRead < 1)
break;
buf[bytesRead] = 0;
[results appendString: [NSString stringWithUTF8String: buf]];
[results autorelease];
*output = results;
return status == errAuthorizationSuccess;
// Execute a privileged task.
// Returns YES if the task executed successfully, NO otherwise.
+ (BOOL) execute: (NSString *) executable
withArguments: (NSArray *) arguments
output: (NSString **) output
Authorization * authorization = [Authorization new];
BOOL result =
[authorization run: executable withArguments: arguments output: output];
[authorization release];
return result;
@end

Help! After upgrading to Firefox 8, will not save my tabs from previous session, or any Tools - Options! I have read everything I can find about it in Help.

It opens the same 3 stupid windows every time: the Firefox Google page, the upgraded Welcome page, and Amazon wish list upgrade page. This while my home page is set to msn.com or blank! I tried every method mentioned in Help that I could find, including the corrupt dll file and deleting Firefox and reinstalling it. Still, same problem. I have checked and rechecked all my browsing, history and cookie settings, etc. but cannot find any solution. I am not in private browsing, and I accept all cookies. It also does not save my Tools-Options-Tabs-When I open a new tab, switch to it immediately. This is really disappointing. Can someone please help??

Under Options->General->Startup->When Firefox starts->Change this from "Show my home page" to "show my windows and tabs from last time". It works for me, hope this will help you as well.

I am an MBA student , doing a research project on e-learning authoring tools, would like to find out no. of licences sold/active to date for adobe captivate. how many get sold every year. any pointers/help is appreciated. cheers.

I am an MBA student , doing a research project on e-learning authoring tools, would like to find out no. of licences sold/active to date for adobe captivate. how many get sold every year. any pointers/help is appreciated. cheers.

I doubt you'll get an answer in a user forum, sorry. This forum is meant for users to help other users when they have problems that have to be solved. You should contact Adobe itself.

I cannot access the PRIVACY menu from the Tools-Options menu to make changes to cookies and history. I can access every other menu on that page (General, Tabs, Content, Applications, Security, and Advanced. But Not PRIVACY. Please help.

I need to reset/change/clear my cookies, probably clear my cache, and change my history preferences. When I use the Tools-Options choice to bring up the appropriate menu (General, Tabs, Content, Applications, Privacy, Security,and Advanced) all allow me access to make changes (or not), the PRIVACY tab does not open up. It does no allow access to any info contained there in. It is like it doesn't exist or isn't even there. Also, in the Tools menu on the Firefox toolbar, both "Stop Private Browsing" and "Clear Recent History" are grayed out. What gives? Thank you for your help.

This can be caused by in incompatible/malfunctioning add-on. To test if this is the case follow the procedure in the [[troubleshooting extensions and themes]] article.

Protocol for turning off conversation threads in hotmail cant be followed 'cos tools options doesn't display "more options" help!

Don't want new conversation threading in hotmail. Suggested protocol for switching off says; Tools> options>more options etc. Well my tools
button does not provide the facility "more options"! Help.

If you want access to the console, try booting with a modified kernel command line. Add systemd.unit=multi-user.target, then you can modify your configuration, try startx, ...

The Sync Feature is not opening in Tools Options. Help!

I have the Xoom and downloaded the Firefox app. I tried syncing to my account on the laptop but when I go to Tools>Options there is no sync option. I have installed the newest version of Firefox on both my laptop and the Xoom. Help!

The Sync tab only appears if the Firefox Sync add-on has been installed, or you are using the Firefox 4 beta builds. It sounds like you need to install the Firefox Sync add-on on the work computer.

Cannot access tool options in CS4 please help

Last week it was working fine. Last night and today, I Cannot access the tools options by double clicking, and in the tool options bar it always says no selection even when I have selected a tool. I cannot reset because the tool selection icon is missing. I have made sure all updates are done. I rebooted and cleaned off things on the computer to make sure there was plenty of space.
I am a very very new person to this, but as I mentioned, it was fine last week. I don't believe I made any changed to anything. I hope someone has a suggestion.
I use Windows XP by the way

I Cannot access the tools options by double clicking, and in the tool
options bar it always says no selection even when I have selected a
tool. I cannot reset because the tool selection icon is missing. I
have made sure all updates are done. I rebooted and cleaned off things
on the computer to make sure there was plenty of space.
The Options bar always says no selection if you have no object selected -- just selecting a tool won't make no selection go away.
As far as double-clickig a tool to see the options for that tool, it should work -- I'm wondering if there is something wrong with your mouse. Try switching to another mouse and see if double-clicking works with the new mouse.
If none of the suggestions in this forum fix the problem, you may need to un-install and then re-install Illustrator.

Must make firefox stop autoloading password! Help! Tools/Clear/Form option won't let me disable

Every time I tried in the past to sign on to gmail, Firefox asked me if I wanted my sign-in info remembered. I said "never for this site." But the damned pop up kept coming up and I hit the wrong button or something. Now it automatically signs me on to gmail, which would be great if I didn't have 4 nosy office mates. I can't figure out how to stop it. Tools to Clear won't let me checkmark Search & Form History! I don't know what to do.

The user name can be stored as form data, but passwords are never stored as form data, only as name and password in the Password Manager and you can use a master password to protect passwords stored in it.
*Tools > Options > Security: Passwords: "Saved Passwords" > "Show Passwords"
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Protecting+stored+passwords+using+a+master+password
There is a difference between remembering the name and password in the Password Manager and a "remember me" check box on a web page to log you in automatically.<br />
The latter usually involves the creation of a special "remember me" cookie that is stored on your computer and that is send to the server.<br />
If that "remember me" cookie is removed then the server won't remember you anymore and you need to sign in once again.
*Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies: "Show Cookies"
* http://kb.mozillazine.org/Cookies

Help Authoring Tool Options & Enhancements

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