Re: VB6 - Help Files

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From: Ralph (nt_consulting32_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 02/15/04 

Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 00:33:30 -0600

"Jerry Spence" <1@2.com> wrote in message
news:%23wW5Og08DHA.2796@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> I am just starting to look around for VB Win Help Authoring Tools and I
find it is a bewildering subject and most solutions I have
> found are really complicated to use.
>
> That is except one. I downloaded Helpwriter by Teletech Systems. It
integrated directly with VB offering instant context sensitive
> help. Unfortunately I think this is a very old program. Does anyone know
it and is there a later release anywhere and is it
> supported?
>
> Alternatively is there a tool that offers good integration without 6
months of training needed?
>
> Thanks
>
> Jerry
>

You didn't mention your budget. RoboHelp is imho the best help authoring
program for relatively painless help creation, but it has gotten a bit
pricey.

You are correct that the entire help issue is poorly documented and
supported. I once jumped a M$ friend of mine about this obvious 'hole'
during a M$ conference. My friend very politely listened to me until my
ranting diminished - then simply informed me that their studies showed that
fewer than 5% of VB development (C++ numbers are higher) created Help files
and in those organizations that did, the files were almost always created by
someone other than a developer and outside the IDE.
The developer merely supplied the context ids.

That is the primary reason such tools are generally scarce and not
specifically designed for use with the IDE. I generally use the HTML Help
SDK from M$, and Yes, it is raw and does take a while to learn. I track ids
with Excel.

I think you need to bite the bullet, set down and manually do it. Your
figure of "6 months" is an exaggeration, however, as satisfactory results
can be achieved in at least 4 months. <smile>

-ralph