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Help Authoring Tool
A Help Authoring Tool or HAT is a software program used by technical writers to create online help systems. Functions The basic functions of a Help Authoring Tool (HAT) can be divided into the following categories: File input HATs obtain their source text either by importing it from a file produced by another program, or by allowing the author to create the text within the tool by using an editor. File formats that can be imported vary from HAT to HAT. Acceptable file formats can include ASCII, HTML, OpenOffice Writer and Microsoft Word, and compiled Help formats such as Microsoft WinHelp and Microsoft Compressed HTML Help. Help output The output from a HAT can be either a compiled Help file in a format such as WinHelp (*.HLP) or Microsoft Compiled HTML Help (*.CHM), or noncompiled file formats such as Adobe PDF, XML, HTML or JavaHelp. Auxiliary functions Some HATs provide extra functions such as: * Automatic or assisted Index generation * Automatic Table of Contents * Spe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Technical Writer
A technical writer is a professional information communicator whose task is to transfer information between two or more parties, through any medium that best facilitates the transfer and comprehension of the information. Technical writers research and create information through a variety of delivery media (electronic, printed, audio-visual, and even touch). Example types of information include online help, manuals, white papers, design specifications, project plans, and software test plans. With the rise of e-learning, technical writers are increasingly becoming involved with creating online training material. According to the Society for Technical Communication (STC): In other words, technical writers take advanced technical concepts and communicate them as clearly, accurately, and comprehensively as possible to their intended audience, ensuring that the work is accessible to its users. Kurt Vonnegut described technical writers as: Engineers, scientists, and other profession ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HelpNDoc
HelpNDoc ( ) is a Windows-based help authoring tool published by French companIBE Software Features HelpNDoc allows the writer to create a single source text which it then converts to a number of target formats such as: * CHM ( HTML Help) * PDF * RTF * DocX * Qt Help * HTML * EPUB (including Amazon Kindle compatible E-books) * Markdown HelpNDoc integrates a WYSIWYG editor which aims to look like popular word processing software such as Microsoft Word or OpenOffice.org Writer. HelpNDoc has the ability to include variables and external files. It also has the ability to generate code for the C++, Delphi, Fortran, Pascal and Visual Basic Visual Basic is a name for a family of programming languages from Microsoft. It may refer to: * Visual Basic .NET (now simply referred to as "Visual Basic"), the current version of Visual Basic launched in 2002 which runs on .NET * Visual Basic ( ... programming languages for integration of the generated CHM help files with the appl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Technical Communication
Technical communication is used to convey scientific, engineering, or other technical information. Individuals in a variety of contexts and with varied professional credentials engage in technical communication. Some individuals are designated as technical communicators or technical writers. These individuals use a set of methods to research, document, and present technical processes or products. Technical communicators may put the information they capture into paper documents, web pages, computer-based training, digitally stored text, audio, video, and other media. The Society for Technical Communication defines the field as any form of communication that focuses on technical or specialized topics, communicates specifically by using technology, or provides instructions on how to do something.What is Technical Communicatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
User Assistance
User assistance is a general term for guided assistance to a user of a software product. The phrase incorporates all forms of help available to a user. Assistance can also automatically perform procedures or step users through the procedure, depending on the question that the user asked. The term is broader than online help, and includes procedural and tutorial information. What it does User assistance provides information to help a person to interact with software. This can include describing the user interface, but also focuses on how to help the user to best apply the software capabilities to their needs. User assistance can be considered a component of the broader category of user experience. Devices User assistance employs a number of devices including help, wizards, tutorials, printed manuals (and their PDF equivalents), and user interface text. User assistance professionals also contribute to enterprise knowledge bases and content management systems.{{cite web , au ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Help Authoring Tools
This page is a list of help authoring tools, organized by operating system An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in .... Mac Windows Cross-platform References * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Help Authoring Tools Online help ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Version Control System
In software engineering, version control (also known as revision control, source control, or source code management) is a class of systems responsible for managing changes to computer programs, documents, large web sites, or other collections of information. Version control is a component of software configuration management. Changes are usually identified by a number or letter code, termed the "revision number", "revision level", or simply "revision". For example, an initial set of files is "revision 1". When the first change is made, the resulting set is "revision 2", and so on. Each revision is associated with a timestamp and the person making the change. Revisions can be compared, restored, and, with some types of files, merged. The need for a logical way to organize and control revisions has existed for almost as long as writing has existed, but revision control became much more important, and complicated, when the era of computing began. The numbering of book editions ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Content Management System
A content management system (CMS) is computer software used to manage the creation and modification of digital content (content management).''Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy''. Ann Rockley, Pamela Kostur, Steve Manning. New Riders, 2003. A CMS is typically used for enterprise content management (ECM) and web content management (WCM). ECM typically supports multiple users in a collaborative environment by integrating document management, digital asset management, and record retention. Alternatively, WCM is the collaborative authoring for websites and may include text and embed graphics, photos, video, audio, maps, and program code that display content and interact with the user. ECM typically includes a WCM function. Structure A CMS typically has two major components: a content management application (CMA), as the front-end user interface that allows a user, even with limited expertise, to add, modify, and remove content from a website without the interv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AsciiDoc
AsciiDoc is a human-readable document format, semantically equivalent to DocBook XML, but using plain-text mark-up conventions. AsciiDoc documents can be created using any text editor and read “as-is”, or rendered to HTML or any other format supported by a DocBook tool-chain, i.e. PDF, TeX, Unix manpages, e-books, slide presentations, etc. Common file extensions for AsciiDoc files are txt (as encouraged by AsciiDoc's creator) and adoc. History AsciiDoc was created in 2002 by Stuart Rackham, who published tools (‘asciidoc’ and ‘a2x’), written in the Python programming language to convert plain-text, ‘human readable’ files to commonly used published document formats. Asciidoctor A Ruby implementation called ‘Asciidoctor’, released in 2013, is in use by GitHub and GitLab. This implementation is also available in the Java ecosystem using JRuby and in the JavaScript ecosystem using Opal.js. Some of O'Reilly Media's books and e-books are authored using Ascii ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sandcastle (software)
Sandcastle is a documentation generator from Microsoft. It automatically produces MSDN-style code documentation out of reflection information of .NET assemblies and XML documentation comments found in the source code of these assemblies. It can also be used to produce user documentation from Microsoft Assistance Markup Language (MAML) with the same look and feel as reference documentation. Overview Sandcastle is a set of command line programs, configuration files, build components and XSLT files that work together to convert XML-based documentation into help topics that are fit for viewing in a help system. Sandcastle is typically used to automatically generate web-ready, XML-compliant HTML documentation in one of three built-in presentation styles from .NET assemblies and XML documentation files that are generated by compilers. The resulting HTML files are then used as input to tools such as the HTML Help Workshop to produce compiled help for distribution with the correspondin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Help & Manual
Help & Manual is a Windows-based help authoring tool published by EC Software, a company based in Austria. Like many help authoring tools, Help & Manual allows the writer to create a single source text which it then converts to a number of target formats. In this case, the author creates the source text using an editor built into the Help & Manual program. The text, along with the user's settings for the project, are stored in XML files. Version history Version 7.0 of Help & Manual was released June 2015. It supports the following output formats: * PDF * Compiled HTML * HTML Web Page * Visual Studio Help * Microsoft Word * eBook ( Windows executable containing an embedded viewer) * ePUB e-books * Amazon Kindle e-books * Printed manuals Version 4.x of Help & Manual also supports Unicode for creating help in all international languages, including Asian languages like Chinese, Japanese and Thai but excluding right-to-left languages. Version 5.x of Help & Manual contains a c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MadCap Software
MadCap Software is an American computer software firm headquartered in San Diego, California that creates help authoring tools and solutions for technical writers and documentations teams. Several principal managers, software engineers, and support personnel were recruited from rival firms, such as Adobe Systems and Macromedia, to found MadCap Software. MadCap's authoring tools are all based on xHTML. Origins Some of MadCap Software's founders were associated with eHelp and its core product, RoboHelp, a help authoring tool. After it was bought by Macromedia in 2003, the eHelp developers were laid off. MadCap co-founder Bjorn Backlund had headed the RoboHelp development team. He saw an opportunity to compete with RoboHelp by rewriting the program using XML and expanding the software. MadCap's founding CEO, Anthony Olivier, had been eHelp's CEO. ProductsMadCap Flare a content authoring tool that generates output in various formats, including HTML5, Eclipse Help, Microsoft Compiled ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HelpSmith
HelpSmith is a Windows-based help authoring tool published by Divcom Software. HelpSmith allows a technical writer to create documentation in various formats, such as HTML Help (CHM), Web Help (HTML-based help system), PDF, and ePub. Also HelpSmith includes screen capture and image annotation tools. History Version 1.0 of HelpSmith was released in 2007 as a help authoring tool that had support for a single HTML Help (CHM) format. On February 7, 2008, HelpSmith was presented on the Giveaway of the Day website where the product received initial feedback and feature requests from its users. Over the past few years, HelpSmith has obtained support for the major documentation formats, support for High DPI displays, improvements to the user interface, and other enhancements. Key features Similarly to common help authoring tools, HelpSmith includes a word processor to edit the content of help topics, customizable templates, user-defined variables, the ability to import existing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
