Web help
Encyclopedia
Web help is a type of online help
delivered through the internet
. A well-known example of such a system is WebHelp.Comhttp://www.webhlp.com. This approach, mixing internet and local resources, is also used in Windows XP
's Help and Support feature.
The original URL was WebHelp.Com (ca. 1994, also known as webhlp.Com or webhelp.us.com) owned by Tom Weaver, Palo Alto,Ca. until 1999 and 2009.
s, while more sophisticated web help solutions feature a frameset sidebar that provides a table of contents
and occasionally search capability, emulating local help resources such as HTML Help.
There are a number of tools that are used to make web help, like HelpSmith, MadCap Software
, RoboHelp
, Macrobject Word-2-Web, XDocs Knowledgebase, Help & Manual
, chm2web, FAR HTML, HelpMapper, AuthorIt, or Help Explorer Server.
solution since it can be viewed using a regular internet browser, while local online help runs only on a help viewer, and often only on a specific platform.
with web help. However, most modern tools offer solutions of this problem, making it possible to provide context-sensitive web help. For example, a web help systems created with HelpSmith, MadCap Flare, RoboHelp, etc., support a number of URL parameters that can be used for integration with a web or desktop application.
Online help
Online help is topic-oriented, procedural or reference information delivered through computer software. It is a form of user assistance. Most online help is designed to give assistance in the use of a software application or operating system, but can also be used to present information on a broad...
delivered through the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. A well-known example of such a system is WebHelp.Comhttp://www.webhlp.com. This approach, mixing internet and local resources, is also used in Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
's Help and Support feature.
The original URL was WebHelp.Com (ca. 1994, also known as webhlp.Com or webhelp.us.com) owned by Tom Weaver, Palo Alto,Ca. until 1999 and 2009.
File format
Simple web help may consist of a series of web pageWeb page
A web page or webpage is a document or information resource that is suitable for the World Wide Web and can be accessed through a web browser and displayed on a monitor or mobile device. This information is usually in HTML or XHTML format, and may provide navigation to other web pages via hypertext...
s, while more sophisticated web help solutions feature a frameset sidebar that provides a table of contents
Table of contents
A table of contents, usually headed simply "Contents" and abbreviated informally as TOC, is a list of the parts of a book or document organized in the order in which the parts appear...
and occasionally search capability, emulating local help resources such as HTML Help.
There are a number of tools that are used to make web help, like HelpSmith, MadCap Software
MadCap Software
MadCap Software is an American computer software firm headquartered in La Jolla, California. The firm is best known for producing various help authoring tools...
, RoboHelp
RoboHelp
RoboHelp is a help authoring tool created by eHelp Corporation , acquired by Macromedia, which itself was then acquired by Adobe Systems.- Features :Technical writers use RoboHelp to create the following help files:...
, Macrobject Word-2-Web, XDocs Knowledgebase, Help & Manual
Help & Manual
Help & Manual is a Windows-based help authoring tool published by EC Software, a company based in Austria.Like many help authoring tools, Help & Manual allows the writer to create a single source text which it then converts to a number of target formats. In this case, the author creates the source...
, chm2web, FAR HTML, HelpMapper, AuthorIt, or Help Explorer Server.
Advantages
The advantages of web help solutions are that they permit content to be continually updated and that they sometimes give prospective buyers a deeper preview of products. Web help can be considered as a cross-platformCross-platform
In computing, cross-platform, or multi-platform, is an attribute conferred to computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple computer platforms...
solution since it can be viewed using a regular internet browser, while local online help runs only on a help viewer, and often only on a specific platform.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage of web help is that it is more cumbersome for the user than purpose-designed help applications, as it may become difficult or impossible to access depending on the user's internet connection. Also, it is difficult to effectively implement context-sensitive helpContext-sensitive help
Context-sensitive help is a kind of online help that is obtained from a specific point in the state of the software, providing help for the situation that is associated with that state....
with web help. However, most modern tools offer solutions of this problem, making it possible to provide context-sensitive web help. For example, a web help systems created with HelpSmith, MadCap Flare, RoboHelp, etc., support a number of URL parameters that can be used for integration with a web or desktop application.