Objectives
Outline/Contents
Table of contents
Prerequisites
Computing requirements
Communications
Grading
Getting started

2. Introducing online help systems

What is online help?
Behind the curtain
Why go online?
Help formats

WinHelp 3.1
HTML Help
JavaHelp

Types of online documentation
Overview of writing principles for online help
Differences between writing for paper and writing for online
Understanding context-sensitivity

Popup help
Planning context-sensitive topics
Can help authors and developers get along?
Accessing help from the application

Online help authoring tools

Microsoft HTML Help
RoboHelp
Doc-to-Help

Summary
Quiz

3. Managing your help project

Designing for efficient production
Reusable components
Planning for version control or multiple contributors
Build from a database approach
An introduction to the help development cycle
Summary
Quiz

4. Analysis

Determining your audience

How to think like a user
Observe the questions users ask
Trends in asking questions
Testing for questions
Checklist of common questions

Writing a user profile

Types of audiences
Novice users
Experienced users
Service technicians
Environment analysis

Performing task analysis

Using task analysis to determine scope
Sample task description
Creating a user/task matrix

Reviewing source material
Summary
Quiz

5. Information planning

Creating an information plan

What is the purpose of an information plan?

What to include in an information plan

Information plan template

Content specification
Fail to plan, plan to fail
Creating a project plan

Project tracking
Project time budgeting tips
Project wrap-up

Summary
Quiz
Assignment 1

Goals
Description
Tools
Upload the assignment for marking

6. Designing and organizing your help system

Initial design decisions

Categories of help information
Number of help topics
Features of the help system
Screen layout and graphics
CSS
Writing style
Creating a table of contents

Developing the preliminary help model

Hierarchy

Varieties of hierarchies

Pure hierarchy
General tree structure
Lattice
Hierarchy with cross references
Sequence
Grid
Web

Understanding information types

Reference information
Procedural information
Instructional information
Conceptual information

Access
Using Index and Find
Browse sequencing
Screen layout
Creating a prototype
Summary
Quiz
Develop a help model

7. Writing guidelines

Readability

Be conscious of word placement
Use simple words
Limit the use of jargon
Use acronyms carefully
Use short simple sentences
Write short clear paragraphs
Write for one
Use active voice
Write clearly
Define technical terms
Use tables
Use lists
Highlight important information
Use present tense
Just say no to nominalization
Choose the right tone

Organizing information

Divide material into short sections
Use descriptive headings
Include a well-organized table of contents

Summary

8. Developing content

Authoring tools

HTML Help Workshop
HTML Help Image Editor
HTML editor
Graphics software

Determining standards
Usability factors
What is a topic?

What goes into a topic?
Chunking topics

Topic titles
Tracking your topics
Links a.k.a. jumps

Popups
Browse sequences

Graphics and other media

Limitations in using graphics
Creating and editing graphics

Translation issues
Easter eggs
Summary
Quiz

9. Creating your topics

Overview
Getting started

Organizing your files
Naming your files
Using the templates

Tutorial – creating a sample help file

Starting your project
Creating the topic files
Anatomy of a template
Step 1 – linking to CSS
Step 2 – creating a link
Step 3 – adding lists
Step 4 – inserting a graphic
Step 5 – creating a browse sequence
Step 6 – creating a popup
Step 7 – adding files to the project
Step 8 – creating the table of contents
Step 9 – compiling the project
Wrap-up

Summary
Assignment two

Goals
Description
Tools
Grading
Submitting the assignment

10. Generating keywords, index, cross-references, and search

Keywords and index

What are keywords?
Binary versus sitemap index
Adding keywords to a topic
Establishing conventions for indexing
Generating search keywords
Tricks to make indexing easy

Cross-references

Keyword search (KLinks)
Cross-references between topics
ALinks
Related topics

Search

Using search
Search stop list

Tutorial

Getting started
Step 1 – create the index
Step 2 – insert a primary and secondary keyword
Step 3 - add KLinks
Step 4 – add ALinks
Step 5 – add Related Topics
Step 6 – add search
Wrap-up

Summary
Quiz

11. Additional help features

Customizing the table of contents

Changing the table of contents settings
Changing the table of contents styles
Changing an icon in the table of contents

Window types

Modifying window type settings

Shortcuts

Inserting a shortcut

Integrating online help with software
Summary
Quiz

12. Testing your help system

Running an online help system
Debugging

Understanding compiler messages

Testing your help file

Editorial review of topics -- proofreading
Technical review of online help system
Usability testing

Summary
Quiz
Assignment three

References

What resources are available to help authors?
Cascading style sheets

Introduction
Basic CSS
Selectors
Properties
CSS1 properties
CSS2
CSS editors
Linking the CSS style sheet

HTML reference

What is HTML?
HTML DTD
HTML tag reference
HTML element reference

Glossary