OT: html help

[dogscoff]

Ruatha: I woudn't know, but html is a sensible choice for help files since it has all the features you're likely to need (image support, basic layout, hyperlinking) and is universal- ie can be used on pretty much any machine anywhere with the need for any special software.

Easy to edit too.

[Ruatha]

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
Definetly html help files are a good idea. But dont look for a fancy writer then try to insert the help. Write the help files then insert the html. I think the effect is better. My personal preference for writing web pages is using Paint and Notepad

Hmm, I don't reall y know what you mean as I haven't written any true help file before, I've always done my own help system, but this time I wann go with the standard.
So you mean I should write .HLP files and incorporate HTML into those (Sorry if it's somehow a stupid question...)

[Jack Simth]

I suspect he means skip the .hlp files altogether and go with pure Hyper Text Markup Language - .hlp files require specific readers, and may not port well to a mac or linux box (as well as being more subject to change, due to the nature of Microsoft). While HTML still requires a reader of some form, it is a MUCH more common format, and virtually any modern platform will be able to read it. Likewise, it's been (how many years now?) since HTML came out, and HTML documents written then still display in essentially the same way as they did when they were first displayed, even though the browsers have changed.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Thanks everybody. I'll see what happens.

[Ruatha]

Originally posted by Jack Simth:
I suspect he means skip the .hlp files altogether and go with pure Hyper Text Markup Language - .hlp files require specific readers, and may not port well to a mac or linux box (as well as being more subject to change, due to the nature of Microsoft). While HTML still requires a reader of some form, it is a MUCH more common format, and virtually any modern platform will be able to read it. Likewise, it's been (how many years now?) since HTML came out, and HTML documents written then still display in essentially the same way as they did when they were first displayed, even though the browsers have changed.

Yes, but then you'll loose much of the easiness of windows help files, topic search etc.
But as I don't know how to write win hlp files I'll propably do my own HTML help system with a search function.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

ok, I guess it just took a while to be loaded into the server. Now I'm going to try a couple changes.

[minipol]

Originally posted by Ruatha:
Yes, but then you'll loose much of the easiness of windows help files, topic search etc.
But as I don't know how to write win hlp files I'll propably do my own HTML help system with a search function.

In a previous job, well a few jobs ago actually, i made a html help file. Unfortunately i forgot the steps to do so because i've been writing my help files in pure html ever since.
But a good search function is indeed handy.
Then again, you can search in a dir for a certain string via grep or the search tool from windows
so it's not that big an issue. And you're cross platform

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Weeee! Frames! http://www3.telus.net/funnybnz/main.html

[dogscoff]

Well done Narf.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

I'm trying a horizontal frame now, but for some reason the stuff is showing up in a new window. I'm gonna use the horizontal frame as a subdirectory.