Creating "help" systems for users (not other LV programmers) - where to start?

[waldemar.hersacher]

Microsofts security rules will not allow you to open a chm-file over a network unless you make changes to the registry. A tool for doing that is here.

To get a really working version of the MS HTML Help workshop use the first link from this page.

If you really plan to make a professional user help system use a professional tool like H&M.

To get an impression how profesional user help is structured, divided into working procedures and reference part, how dialogs are designed containing basic information about what to do here take a look into to the online manual.

Sorry it's a lot of advertising for just one product but I use it regularly and I'm as most a fan of it as of LV.

[DonRoth]

Internet at the hotel has been spotty so am using the lobby terminal.  My images are direct cut and pastes into the document using a screen/region capture utillity.  So if I have to say where they are resident, well, they were resident at one time on the clipboard, and then directly pasted into the MS Word .doc.  I then resave the Word .doc to a .htm file.  I suspect then that the inserted images are all being saved to a subfolder (don't have this in front of me) which may be why they are not being found.  When I started searching the help utility on images and similar terms, I did not find what I was looking for regarding this issue.

I am going to download the MS tool and the professional tool refered to in the last message because I know how important the documentation issue can be.

Will report my results.

Thanks,

Don

ps. NIWeek was fun and educational as usual.  I gave a presentation this year also which I think was received fairly well, and partially mentioned (5 minutes worth) the software product I am working on...

Message Edited by DonRoth on 08-07-2008 03:34 PM

[DonRoth]

Jonah - Can you tell me what version of HTML Help you used?  Is it 1.3?  If it is from the link you showed which displays version HTML Help Workshop 4.74.8702.0;

I JUST FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS THE VERSION I AM USING - I'LL GET BACK TO YOU, THANKS, DON

Thanks,

Don 

Message Edited by DonRoth on 08-26-2008 02:29 PM

[DonRoth]

Hi Jonah - Here is an HTML file with one image, the subsequent compiled help file, and the test LabVIEW program for displaying on-line help.  I have included in a .zip file the one graphic file and associated files created when the .htm file was created from the word doc (the graphic is put in a subfolder).  I am unable to get LabVIEW to display the graphic using the  'Control Online Help' fx in LabVIEW.  Can you tell me how you did it?  Put the stuff in the root (c:) directory.

Thanks,

Don

[jpaul]

Hi Don,

So I have been exploring the help files that you sent me. How is the test.chm help file linked to the test.htm, which is displayed in the contents? Was it directly loaded in as a support file in the Microsoft help builder? The reason I ask is because when I change the test.htm file it does not update the help file. Thanks!

Cheers,

Jonah
Applications Engineer

National Instruments

[DonRoth]

Hi Jonah - The steps I used to create the .chm file are as follows.

1) Saved .doc file as .htm file

2) Create a project file in the MS HTML Help Workshop tool

3) Followed directions in:  http://www.beansoftware.com/ASP.NET-Tutorials/HTML-Help-Workshop.aspx

4) Clicked on 'Change Project Options' button, went to 'Files' tab, and clicked 'Compile full-text search information' checkbox

You have the resulting .chm file.  You can try to duplicate these steps starting from the .htm file for which the supporting graphic is in the .zip file. 

Or you can just create your own .doc file, do a screen capture and cut and paste it into the word doc, and follow steps 1 - 4 with your own test.

Test.vi will spawn the help file but the image would not show up for me.

Sincerely,

Don

[jpaul]

Hi Don,

I think I found out what the issue was with your help file creation. When you use Microsoft Word to convert the file over to an *.htm file it includes HTML tags that are not compatible. If you use the attached HTML file (that I created from scratch) and your image001.jpg - in the same folder. The CHM file will successfully link to the picture.

For your HTML development, I recommend using a program other than Microsoft Word (if possible).

Cheers,

Jonah
Applications Engineer

National Instruments 

[DonRoth]

The problem is the original document which is 120 pages now was authored in MS Word.  So I don't see how it is feasible to create the .html document from scratch now.  Isn't it amazing that this Help tool is a MS product and yet it is seemingly incompatible with MS Word?

So it seems I might have to pony up for a professional product recommended earlier in this discussion.  Or try to edit the html file manually to remove the incompatibility.

Thanks for trying.  If I have any updates down the road, I will post them here.

Sincerely,

Don

[DonRoth]

Hello - I have an update for everyone here.  I have verified that the the product referenced above in a prior post (H&M) will do what I need.  The full product name is Help & Manual.  I downloaded the evaluation version of the Professional Edition, version 5.0.4 Build 574. 

The basic steps which proved to me that the images would show in the .chm file were as follows:

1) I resaved my test.doc to test.rtf

2) I clicked on the Application button (top left corner) of H&M and selected 'New' to display the 'Create New Help Project' wizard

3) I clicked on the radio button to 'Import existing documentation from....' and then clicked on checkbox 'RTF document created with MS Word'

4) The document showed up in the Page Editor tab of the Project Window.

5) I then clicked again on the Application button and said Publish at which point the Publish Help Project dialog spawned and gives you the option to publish in various formats including .chm.

6) I then placed my .chm file in c: and ran my test.vi (which is just what you see below) and verified that the images showed up.

 

7) Now I can study how to create an optimized index and searchable help and I should be all set.

I am going to buy the H&M product.

Message Edited by DonRoth on 09-10-2008 09:19 AM