Hyperhelp
DODWriter
online help authoring tool for documents created in FrameMaker. Does
anyone know if it work with FM for Windows (I've heard it only works with
Unix)?
Do you know of any other authoring tools compatible with FM?
Thanks!!
Carla Honour
Technical Writer
Cary, NC
Chuck Taylor
DODWriter <dodw...@aol.com> (Carla Honour) wrote:
>Is anyone familiar with Hyperhelp by Bristol Technologies? I hear it is an
>online help authoring tool for documents created in FrameMaker. Does
>anyone know if it work with FM for Windows (I've heard it only works with
>Unix)?
Hyperhelp consists of a help compiler and help viewer that allows
you to take help files prepared for Microsoft Windows, compile
them, port them to Unix, then view them on Unix with the
Hyperhelp help viewer. You use the same help authoring tools that
you would use to prepare help files for Windows, so Hyperhelp is
not really a "help authoring tool". This can be useful if you
have an application that runs in both the Windows and Unix
environments and only want to develop your help system once.
The connection with FrameMaker is only incidental. The source
format is RTF. Which reminds me, we have not been able to make
FrameMaker 5.0 save an RTF file correctly under Win95. Has anyone
else tried this?
Chuck Taylor
--
Chuck Taylor StatSci Division, MathSoft Inc.
User Information Services Manager 1700 Westlake Ave. N, Suite 500
ch...@statsci.com Seattle, WA 98109-9891
Carla Merrill
however...
1. You can develop files in RTF format and compile them with both Hyperhelp
and the WINHELP compiler (you have to make a few changes to the .hpj file
to account for the different platforms. Hyperhelp describes what you need to
do). So, theoretically, you can cross platforms with RTF between Windows and
UNIX. On UNIX, you compile and display with Hyperhelp. On Windows, you compile
and display with WINHELP.
2. Bristol puts out 3 compilers with Hyperhelp...the compiler for RTF format,
the compiler for MIF format, and one for SGML format. The compiler you buy
reflects the method you use to create (author) the help files. We use
Forehelp for UNIX (marketed by Bristol...it's very new). ForeHelp generates
RTF, so we have the RTF hyperhelp compiler. Generating RTF gives us the
option of crossing to Windows with our help files if we need to.
If you want to create online help files in Framemaker on UNIX, you would get
the
Hyperhelp MIF compiler. Hyperhelp gives you instructions for using Framemaker
as your authoring tool. I've never done it, so I can't tell you how it works.
But the use of FrameMaker to generate MIF could be done on Windows, I think,
then compiled by Hyperhelp running on UNIX. But you'd probably have to make
some adjustments to account for the change in platforms. Which adjustments,
I don't know. In any case, you could only run the compiler on a UNIX platform.
There is a web page, bristol.com, for more information. Hyperhelp is
pretty good...its functions/features keep up with Windows pretty well. I'm
happy with it. ForeHelp for UNIX is another story. It's basically the only
game in town for WYSIWYG online help authoring that generates RTF on a UNIX
platform (as far as I know). But it is slow, and it is buggy. It's fairly new,
and Bristol is fixing bugs, but too slowly for me. For example, the segmented
graphis still don't work as documented, and the workaround is a PITA.
Hope this helps.
--
Carla Merrill
Manager - User Documentation Team
Imonics Corporation - "Digitizing the papered office"
Cary, NC
DODWriter
Hyperhelp works on the Unix platform. The rep at Bristol thought I could
use Winhelp to create online help from Frame 5.0 for windows. Anyone know
anything about this? I was under the impression that Winhelp only works
with Word for Windows.
Anyone have any ideas on apps I can use to turn Frame 5.0 for Windows docs
into windows online help?
Caryn Rizell
You are on the right track with HyperHelp. We are investigating it to create
our online help for both Windows and Unix platforms via FrameMaker 5 for
Windows.
Here is how I do it:
1) Author the files in Frame5 using HyperHelp's hypertext markers. (They
provide how to do this in their online help.)
2) Save the file as .mif.
3) Compile the .mif file into unix help.
4) Use HyperHelp Bridge to convert the unix help file into a windows .rtf
file.
5) Compile the .rtf file with the windows help compiler.
It sounds like a lot, but it is easy.
We are investigating this route because Frame's mif is far better than their
rtf.
You might want to get an evaluation copy of HyperHelp to try it out. I am
really pleased with it. The people at Bristol are extremely knowledgeable and
helpful.
If you have more questions about HyperHelp I would be happy to answer them.
Caryn Rizell
Learning Products Engineer
Hewlett-Packard