Help authoring tool

Author: s | 2025-04-25

What are Help Authoring Tools for Freelancers? Help Authoring Tools (HAT) enable users to create and edit help documents and help documentation. Help authoring tools function What are Help Authoring Tools for Windows? Help Authoring Tools (HAT) enable users to create and edit help documents and help documentation. Help authoring tools function similarly to

What is a Help Authoring tool?

From a particular part within the application. For example, the user can simply press F1, so the application will automatically display the corresponding help topic. Or, the application can show assistance information like hints in the application directly. It should be pointed out that if you create an HTML Help (CHM) file for a desktop application, integration is mainly based on HTML Help API or on the built-in support for CHM files of your IDE. However, for an online help system, it mainly depends on the possibilities provided by the developer of the help authoring tool: for example, a Web Help system can simply allow you to open a specific help topic (which is enough in most cases), but also it can provide API, so your application can retrieve information from the help system, or to integrate the Search feature, and so on. Integration and context-sensitive Help Table of Contents Tool The basic task of the TOC tool in any help authoring software is to let you build the structure of your help file by adding and organizing headings, sub-headings, topics, external links, and so on. In some cases, you may also need to provide different versions of the TOC, say, for a help file and for printed manual. Some help authoring tools implement that facility making it possible to keep different TOCs, the other tools allows you to compile different version of the same TOC relying on their Build Tags/Conditional compilation capabilities. Keyword Tool Similarly to the TOC, keyword Index is a standard navigation tool that present in many help file formats. While most help authoring tools allow you to build a keyword Index, some tools also make it possible to generate it automatically by analyzing of keywords which present in your documentation. Content Re-use Your help file may include repetitive parts of content including single lines of text like names or product version, or an entire guide such as instructions explaining how to perform a task. Therefore, some help authoring tools implement the functionality of snippets that you can write once and re-use in other places of the

Help Authoring Tool to Create a CHM Help

A)Also applies to:EN 301 549 Criteria9.2.3.1 (Web)10.2.3.1 (Non-web document)11.2.3.1 (Open Functionality Software)11.8.2 (Authoring Tool)12.1.2 (Product Docs)12.2.4 (Support Docs)Revised Section 508501 (Web)(Software)504.2 (Authoring Tool)602.3 (Support Docs) Web: Supports Web: The product does not contain flashing content. Guideline 2.4 Navigable:Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are. Criteria Conformance Level Remarks and Explanations 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A)Also applies to:EN 301 549 Criteria9.2.4.1 (Web)10.2.4.1 (Non-web document) – Does not apply11.2.4.1 (Open Functionality Software) – Does not apply11.8.2 (Authoring Tool)12.1.2 (Product Docs)12.2.4 (Support Docs)Revised Section 508501 (Web)(Software) – Does not apply to non-web software504.2 (Authoring Tool)602.3 (Support Docs) – Does not apply to non-web docs Web: Partially Supports Web: The product provides some headings, which allows assistive technology users to bypass repeated blocks such as the top navigation. However, for users without assistive technology, a bypass mechanism is not provided. 2.4.2 Page Titled (Level A)Also applies to:EN 301 549 Criteria9.2.4.2 (Web)10.2.4.2 (Non-web document)11.2.4.2 (Open Functionality Software) - Does not apply11.8.2 (Authoring Tool)12.1.2 (Product Docs)12.2.4 (Support Docs)Revised Section 508501 (Web)(Software)504.2 (Authoring Tool)602.3 (Support Docs) Web: Partially Supports Web: Exceptions include:Titles are provided for each page, but they are not context sensitive. 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A)Also applies to:EN 301 549 Criteria9.2.4.3 (Web)10.2.4.3 (Non-web document)11.2.4.3 (Open Functionality Software)11.8.2 (Authoring Tool)12.1.2 (Product Docs)12.2.4 (Support Docs)Revised Section 508501 (Web)(Software)504.2 (Authoring Tool)602.3 (Support Docs) Web: Supports Web: Components receive focus in a meaningful order. 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A)Also applies to:EN 301 549 Criteria9.2.4.4 (Web)10.2.4.4 (Non-web document)11.2.4.4 (Open Functionality Software)11.8.2 (Authoring Tool)12.1.2 (Product Docs)12.2.4 (Support Docs)Revised Section 508501 (Web)(Software)504.2 (Authoring Tool)602.3 (Support Docs) Web: Supports Web: The purpose of links in the product can be determined from the link text alone or from the programmatic context of the link. 2.4.5 Multiple Ways (Level AA)Also applies to:EN 301 549 Criteria9.2.4.5 (Web)10.2.4.5 (Non-web document) – Does not apply11.2.4.5 (Open Functionality Software) – Does not apply11.8.2 (Authoring Tool)12.1.2 (Product Docs)12.2.4 (Support Docs)Revised Section 508 501 (Web)(Software) – Does not apply to non-web software 504.2 (Authoring Tool)602.3 (Support Docs) – Does not apply to non-web docs Web: Supports Web: Users can locate web pages in the product through breadcrumb trail, and footer “Previous screen”, “Next screen”, and “Home” buttons. 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA)Also applies to:EN 301 549 Criteria9.2.4.6 (Web)10.2.4.6 (Non-web document)11.2.4.6 (Open Functionality Software)11.8.2 (Authoring Tool)12.1.2 (Product Docs)12.2.4 (Support Docs)Revised Section 508501 (Web)(Software)504.2 (Authoring Tool)602.3 (Support Docs) Web: Supports Web: Headings and labels are descriptive. 2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA)Also applies to:EN 301 549 Criteria9.2.4.7 (Web)10.2.4.7 (Non-web document)11.2.4.7 (Open Functionality Software)11.8.2 (Authoring Tool)12.1.2 (Product Docs)12.2.4 (Support Docs)Revised Section 508501 (Web)(Software)504.2 (Authoring Tool)602.3 (Support Docs) Web: Supports Web: In those elements that can receive keyboard focus, focus is indicated visually. Guideline 2.5 Input Modalities:Make

RoboHelp - Help Authoring Tool to Author Technical Content

HelpNDoc HelpNDoc's feature tour Write a Review Visit Website HelpNDoc is an easy to use yet powerful help authoring tool which can generate various documentation formats from a single source. It can generate HTML and CHM help files, PDF and Word manuals, ePub and Kindle eBooks, cross-platformqt Help files as well as mobile web- sites for iPhone and Android. Visit Website Dr. Explain Download a copy of Dr.Explain software Write a Review Visit Website Uniquely Dr.Explain captures application screens or web pages and documents them automatically. Based on a unique interface analysis and screen capture system. Created help files, documentation and on-line manuals in CHM, PDF, DOC & HTML formats. Visit Website HelpScribble HelpScribble - Complete Help Authoring Tool - WinHelp hlp, HTML Help chm, Printed Manual and Web Help Write a Review Visit Website HelpScribble is a full-featured help authoring tool for easily creating professional Windows help files from start to finish. Visit Website HelpSmith Help Authoring Tool to Create a CHM Help File, Web Help, PDF Manual, or ePub eBook Write a Review Visit Website HelpSmith is a help authoring tool that you can use to create HTML Help (CHM), Web Help, Printed Manuals, Adobe PDF, MS Word documents, and ePub eBooks. HelpSmith includes a rich feature set combined with an easy-to-use user interface with a slight learning curve. Visit Website MadCap Flare Flare Technical Documentation & Writing Software | MadCap Write a Review Visit Website Flare technical documentation and writing software makes it easy to create technical documentation, online Help sites, PDF guides and more. Visit Website Products Similar to Adobe RoboHelp Sourcer Credible News and Insight Instantly Write a Review Visit Website There are a lot of issues around how people currently consume news. It is difficult for a person to determine whether something is true or credible because information about a given topic can be found on many different channels and from many different sources. They are building an algorithm that will give people more insights into the news they are reading, by making it easy to compare with other news sources and opinions. This way people can be more educated and well-read about a topic without having to take the effort to find credible news sources or find what other people are saying about a topic. Read more Visit Website Sonat Online Manual Creator Write a Review Visit Website Sonat is a cutting-edge documentation tool designed for individuals and organizations seeking a streamlined and efficient way to create and manage online manuals, user guides, knowledge bases, instructions, and tutorials. With its modern and intuitive interface, Sonat makes it easy to collaborate with team members and create polished, professional-looking content in no time. One of the key benefits of Sonat is its simplicity. Unlike other documentation tools that require extensive training and technical expertise, Sonat is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to users of all skill levels. This makes it an ideal choice for organizations that need to quickly onboard new team members or. What are Help Authoring Tools for Freelancers? Help Authoring Tools (HAT) enable users to create and edit help documents and help documentation. Help authoring tools function What are Help Authoring Tools for Windows? Help Authoring Tools (HAT) enable users to create and edit help documents and help documentation. Help authoring tools function similarly to

RoboHelp - Help Authoring Tool to Author Technical - Adobe

Help File Formats What help file formats do you need to produce? Most popular formats for help files are HTML Help (.CHM files), browser-based online help (or Web Help), Help 2.x, and JavaHelp. Most modern help authoring tools provide single sourcing, which means that you can produce documentation in various output formats from the same source help project. Creation of help files in multiple formats Printable Documentation Formats If you also need to create a printable version of your documentation (for example, a printed manual), ensure your help authoring tool provides the possibility to create MS Word files, and Adobe PDF documents. Also, you should check that the printable documents include working hyperlinks to topics within the document, external hyperlinks to a web page or email address, images, tables, and other objects that you may need. The possibility to create printable documentation Build Tags Build Tags (also known as conditional compilation) allows you to produce documentation oriented to different audiences of users from the same source project. Some help authoring tools support only limited conditional compilation capabilities, while the other tools make it possible to produce different versions of the Table of Contents, and also different version of content from a specific topic. Also, you may want to be able to add custom build tags and have the possibility to combine different build tags for a specific version of your help file or manual. Build tags and conditional compilation Content Writing Does your help authoring tool provide a full-featured word processor, or it uses on a third party editor? Since writing documentation is the biggest part of work on any documentation project, ensure that your help tool provides comfortable working with text, the possibility to customize font and alignment settings, to create and re-use styles, and that it also allows you to add Images, embedded and hosted video clips (for example, from YouTube), tables, hyperlinks, lines, and other objects that you may need in your manual. Writing content in a help authoring tool Dynamic Styles When writing content you may want to be able not just to use different fonts

HelpSmith - Help authoring tool to Create

Documentation. Content re-use possibilities Design Themes Templates is usually a tool that enables you to change the common style of help topics, or the appearance of the entire help system (for example, for the Web Help layout), or the common appearance of the printable manual. Thus, a help authoring tool may include built-in features allowing you to customize design settings for topics, or for the help system's layout, provide you with the possibility to select a pre-built design theme, and also provide the possibility to create a custom design theme. Design Themes Variables Variables in a help file tool are placeholders for reusable content such as names, product versions or dates that you can insert into multiple places of your help file, however, save the possibility to change/update their values at any time without the necessity to revise the content of the entire help system. Automation If your help authoring tool includes support for the command line, it may allow you to automate some frequent actions such as compilation of the help project into a particular output format with a specific set of build tags, etc. This, in turn, enables the developers to automate creation of software builds, compilation of custom versions, and other similar tasks. Command line automation System Resources Whether you are going to create a small-sized help file, or to build a large help system with a big number of topics, images, and videos, it is crucial for your help authoring tool to be able to handle such a help project. You may want to check the system requirements from the developer of a specific help tool, as well as to test it with a sample help project containing the corresponding amount of help topics, content, and images. Translation Capabilities If you plan to provide a help file for your product in more than one language, check what solutions for this task your help authoring tool provides. Some help file tools imply that you will translate a copy of the original help project, the other tools make it possible to translate content in the help project directly

HelpMaker Help Authoring Tool download

And paragraph formatting settings, but also have the possibility to change the formatting of the entire help file or manual at any time, or to generate a help file or PDF documentation (as well as other output formats) with different font and formatting settings. To provide this possibility, the word processor in your help authoring tool can support dynamic styles, or even have support for CSS style sheets, which means that you can modify a style and provide alternative formatting settings for use in other outputs without the need to manually change a large amount of content. Spell Checker When writing content it is important to avoid spelling errors, so ensure that your help authoring tool includes a spell checker and provides dictionaries for the languages that you plan to use. Spell Checker for your language Control Over Source Code Some help authoring tools provide full control over the HTML code of the content being written, so you can write and modify the HTML structure according with your needs. At the same time, the other tools generate the HTML code automatically, so you can simply concentrate on writing text in visual editor without the necessity to deal with coding HTML/CSS. Thus, the need to control over the underlaying HTML code depends on a particular help project and specific tasks. The possibility to write HTML code Multi-Media Features Obviously, to develop a quality help file or manual, it is not enough to just write content with instructions explaining how to perform a task or solve an issue. Your help file will be more useful if you prepare and add images and videos that will illustrate the subject being documented. From the technical point ensure that your help authoring tool allows you to insert images in most popular formats such as BMP, JPG, PNG, GIF, and video files such as AVI, WMV, MPG, Flash (SWF), and QuickTime (MOV, MP4). Also, ensure that it is possible to insert videos from YouTube, Vimeo, and other popular video hosting services. Images and videos in your help file Built-in Screenshot Tool If you are working on

HelpScribble - Complete Help Authoring Tool

Organize the workflow enables everyone to work in their own style.Administration features enable you to set-up the tool for the way you need to work.They also help you to navigate and better utilize the features and functionality of the authoring tool.Here’s a list of administration features that can come in handy:Language settingsFlexible workspace setup (movable windows, tools, dockable panels)Preview and view preferencesAutorecoveryRoles and permissionsSingle sign-on (security)10. Support & trainingBoth novice and experts benefit from help being available with any authoring tool. How much support and assistance you might want depends on your needs.Some authoring tool brands offer help in the form of live chat support, training courses or guides on specific topics, and even dedicated community forums that enable developers to get troubleshooting help or ask questions.Here are the types of support and training features often available:Online community forumLive chat supportE-mail or phone supportTutorials and how-to guidesVideo guidesConsultancy servicesWebinarsDemosUpdates & UpgradesMost elearning authoring tools need to be compliant with content standards. This means that the course can be exported to a file type that will be compatible and supported by SCORM compliant LMS systems.For end-users to access a published course, the course needs to be located somewhere accessible – like the internet or an LMS. This is where content standards come in.The most common standards are SCORM, AICC or xAPI.When the elearning content is exported to one of these standards, it will be compatible with an LMS that supports the same standard.Because there are so many types of authoring tools and LMS platforms, the absence of a standard would mean that authoring tools and platforms would not be able to speak to each other. Content standards, like SCORM and xAPI, ensure smooth integration.But don’t worry, when you choose the right vendor they will assist you in either implementing your existing content or developing new material, much like Valamis does. Request a call to get the advice from our experts.How do you choose an authoring tool for your own training or organizational needs?In order to make the right decision, it is important to understand the needs and requirements of your specific training project.Most authoring tools have their own unique combination of features and capabilities catering to different training needs.Ask questions about your project in order to understand what features and capabilities you may need, such as:What expertise level will be working with the software?Novice level with no programming experienceExpert level with. What are Help Authoring Tools for Freelancers? Help Authoring Tools (HAT) enable users to create and edit help documents and help documentation. Help authoring tools function What are Help Authoring Tools for Windows? Help Authoring Tools (HAT) enable users to create and edit help documents and help documentation. Help authoring tools function similarly to

Help authoring tools and content management

Documentation Formats Create CHM Help Files with a Complete Help Authoring Tool If you need to create a CHM help file for your Windows application, you can produce it with HelpSmith (which you can [...] Create a Responsive Online Help System for Your Product Easily An online help system available on the website of a product or web-based service allows the users to quickly find [...] Creating an Excellent Printed Manual in a Couple of Clicks While you can use HelpSmith to create electronic documentation (such as Web Help and .CHM help files) and printa [...] Using the Help Authoring Tool to Create Adobe PDF Documents Adobe PDF is the industry standard that is widely used to deliver documentation of any kinds including technic [...] Generating Microsoft Word Documents with HelpSmith Microsoft Word is a de-facto standard word processing application that is used by millions of people to create a [...] How to Create an ePub eBook from Your Help Project The ePub format is widely used to create and deliver electronic books (or eBooks) that readers can view on speci [...] Creation of help files and manuals Help Authoring Tool to Create a CHM Help File, Web Help, PDF Manual, Microsoft Word, ePub eBook, or Markdown document If you are looking for a help authoring tool to create a CHM help file, online Web Help system, or PDF manual, you c [...] How to Create a CHM Help File, Online Help System, or PDF Manual In this article you will learn how you can create a CHM help file, online Web Help system, or PDF manual using a [...] Create Help for the User Interface of Your Application Automatically Writing documentation for user interfaces is an essential part of work on the help file for your desktop or web appl [...] Using Image Tool to Create Annotations for Screenshots HelpSmith provides a built-in Image Tool that you can use to capture screenshots, create annotations for images, add [...] Teamwork How to Use GitHub to Work on a Help Project Collaboratively If you need to work on documentation by several authors, you can use the ability of the HelpSmith help authoring [...] Help System Integration How to Connect HTML Help with your .NET Application If you are a .NET (C#, VB.NET, etc.) developer, you can easily integrate an HTML Help (CHM) system with your appl [...] How to Connect HTML Help with your Visual Basic/VBA Application If you are a Visual Basic/VBA (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access, etc) developer, you can integrate an HTML Help (.CHM) s [...] How to Connect HTML Help with your Delphi Application If you are a Delphi developer, you can easily integrate an HTML

HelpNDoc Help Authoring Tool - Create

A help file for a software application or web service, you will also want to provide screenshots. Of course, you can use a third party utility or full-featured graphic editor like GIMP to prepare the screenshots. However, some help authoring tools provide an integrated screenshot tool that simplifies the process of creating a screenshot and inserting it into your help file. Built-in screenshot tool Working with Tables Tables are also an important part of content, for example, when you need to display some details in a presentable and comprehensive way. Of course, being a basic objects like images or hyperlinks, tables are supported by most of the help authoring tools, however, the table-related features may differ - for example, customization possibilities for borders, the possibility to apply CSS classes and styles to individual elements of a table, the possibility to re-use the appearance of one table for another table, ready-to-use design templates to apply to a table, and so on. Hyperlinks Usually, a help file or printed documentation includes hyperlinks to other topics within the same manual, hyperlinks to related web sites. Also, you may need to use hyperlinks to anchors (also known as bookmarks in some help file creation software), for example, to create a glossary of terms or provide a FAQ section. Layout Customization When it comes to customization of the design of your help file or manual to fit it to the common style adopted in your company as part of the brand identity strategy, or simply when you want to provide a common style of your online help system with the product's website, it is important which ways your help authoring tool enables you to accomplish that task. For example, a help tool may suggest ready-to-use design themes for the Web Help layout, the possibility to create a custom theme by means of the help tool, or by modifying the HTML/CSS code of the help system's layout. Layout customization Help File Integration Integrating a help file or browser-based Web Help system with your desktop application or web-based service usually implies that the end-user can get assistance. What are Help Authoring Tools for Freelancers? Help Authoring Tools (HAT) enable users to create and edit help documents and help documentation. Help authoring tools function

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