This small sample has been produced by TechScribe to highlight some of the important features of online help. It is not complete. For example, the index is deliberately sparse, so that it is easy for you to focus on the features we highlight. It does not show all the features of each type of help.
Help format: WebHelp
Last updated: December 2004
There are many formats for online help. This help has been designed so that you can visually compare the features of the most popular ones:
bullets are fix for WebHelp—if use proper bulleted list, output is a mess
Microsoft compiled HTML help. The current type of help for Windows.
WinHelp. The classic help system for Windows. Now rarely used.
WebHelp. This is cross-platform help from Macromedia (formerly eHelp). Essentially, it is HTML with lots of JavaScript. The appearance will partially depend on your browser.
Pure HTML help (no script). This is cross-platform help. The appearance will partially depend on your browser.
Since the aim is to compare these help systems, the content of the samples is identical (as far as is practical), and differences in operation are indicated in the text.
Typically, help would be context-sensitive, so that when a user requests help, the appropriate help topic appears. Context-sensitive help can be provided for individual fields and menu items, as well as for each dialogue box. This cannot be demonstrated with this sample.