I suggested earlier that you dump the winhelp format altogether because it
complicates everything without bringing any advantages. HTML Help (CHM) is
backward-compatible to Win 95 and requires only an ASCII editor (or any one
of a gazillion free or commercial HTML editors) to edit source files. It can
also link to and display online or offline HTML directly, as well as any
object for which the local web client has a plugin - like Flash, MPEG, etc.
Flash demos in winhelp? Forget it. The CHM compiler is simple to set up and
works like a charm. With an HTML editor you create both your help system,
your web help, and printable documentation.

Compare with the proprietary winhelp format that requires pricey creation
software or buggy winword macros, has very poor formatting and styling,
obscure documentation, and long development times due among other things to
the error-prone process of creating hyperlinks and help macros.

To output both to HTML help and winhelp you'd need Robohelp Office or
something like it, and even then the conversion from HTML to HPJ/HLP is
quite convoluted. You have to import a CHM into a new help project, create a
TOC and index, and a half-dozen other things I don't remember before you can
output an HPJ/HLP.

-----Original Message-----
From: brucexs [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2004 7:28 PM



--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Hakki Alacakaptan"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Sorry Alan I just assumed that if you were a designer you'd want to
organize
> your project so that you could repurpose a reduced number of
documents in a
> single format rather duplicate work on documents in different
formats for
> different purposes.

I think it would be great to get rid of the .doc (which BTW is a
true .doc, not rtf) by generating if from the HTML.

I am not so sure that one can get rid of the .rtf file used to run
through the help compiler.  This is because cross-references and keys
use special hidden fields and special footnote characters and
footnotes.  Can these be generated in the right format from HTML?  I
don't know.



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