[tortech] CHM help file generation

[Peter Westergaard]

A client has asked me to look into creating a CHM help file for a
'quick-answer guide' for one of the applications I've helped them to
deploy.

Has anyone got any packages they can recommend for this type of output?
I've never built one of these before.

This will be a one-off, so I'd rather it be a low- or no-cost solution. I
don't mind putting in a little extra elbow grease if it saves license
fees, but I can't imagine this document format is really all that
complicated.

[Insert Real Name]

Peter Westergaard wrote:
| A client has asked me to look into creating a CHM help file for a
| 'quick-answer guide' for one of the applications I've helped them to
| deploy.
|
| Has anyone got any packages they can recommend for this type of output?
| I've never built one of these before.
|
I once wanted to do something similar and found
http://www.helpmaster.com useful for more information and links about
the format and links to tools (some listed as shareware/commercial have
been re released as free tools, e.g. HelpMaker
http://www.vizacc.com/gen_download.php).

The actual compiling of the CHM files seems to require the use of
Microsoft's HTML Help tools, which run only on Windows, but it is
possible to prepare the files using open source tools, e.g. Docbook
w/XSL style sheets, see
http://www.dpawson.co.uk/docbook/styling/htmlhelp.html This can be
useful if the source material is also to be published in other formats
and avoid commercial format lock-in.

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Wed, Jun 22, 2005 at 11:47:10AM -0400, Peter Westergaard wrote:
| A client has asked me to look into creating a CHM help file for a
| 'quick-answer guide' for one of the applications I've helped them to
| deploy.
|
| Has anyone got any packages they can recommend for this type of output?
| I've never built one of these before.
|
| This will be a one-off, so I'd rather it be a low- or no-cost solution. I
| don't mind putting in a little extra elbow grease if it saves license
| fees, but I can't imagine this document format is really all that
| complicated.

Well chmlib can help to view such files, but seems to not have write
support at this time. I wonder if it gives enough info on it to learn
how one would generate such a file.

Very much a microsoft windows only format though.

Len Sorensen