AIR Help / CHMs and WebHelp Discussion
I would like to start some discussion as to where people see help going in the next few years, just in respect of locally installed help and server based help.
Security issues have effectively rendered CHMs as being limited to desktop installation (I know there are workarounds, they are on my site!). WebHelp can be installed locally but the number of files involved and some issues mean that typically it is used just for server based help. Built in tools and our own HTML abilities allow us to design WebHelp with a modern look and feel so whilst new features are always welcome, RoboHelp and other tools allow us to produce something in keeping with our product design and/or corporate image. Because all help authoring tools are limited to what the Microsoft Help Compiler can process, there are more limitations and CHMs look comparatively dated. For one of our applications that requires locally installed help, this has lead us into using AIR Help.
This makes me wonder:
- Are many people here using locally installed AIR help?
- Are many people here using browser-based AIR help?
- Are many people here using both formats?
Even if you don't want to give any opinions or address the other points, it would help if you just answered the above points.
- Do others see locally installed AIR Help as the successor to CHMs?
- Do you see the reduced functionality in browser based AIR help when compared with locally installed AIR help as a barrier and to what extent, major or minor?
- I would like to get an understanding of the mix of server based help and locally installed help. If you could indicate some numbers for your use of each, this would build up into a non-scientific indication of the mix.
- What do you use AIR help for – Application Help, Knowledge base, Policies and Procedures, eLearning content, or for some other use?
- If you are not using AIR Help, is it because of the current functionality or some other reason? What functionality needs to be changed/added or what is holding you back?
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
AdChoices