Online help is topic-oriented, procedural or reference information delivered through
computer software
Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work.
At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...
. It is a form of
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, depen ...
. The purpose of most online help is to assist in using a
software application
Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work.
At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...
,
web application
A web application (or web app) is application software that is accessed using a web browser. Web applications are delivered on the World Wide Web to users with an active network connection.
History
In earlier computing models like client-serv ...
or
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 ...
. However, it can also present information on a broad range of subjects. Online help linked to the application's state (what the user is doing) is called
Context-sensitive help
Context-sensitive help is a kind of online help that is obtained from a specific point in the state of the software, providing help for the situation that is associated with that state.US patent 5285709
Context-sensitive help, as opposed to gener ...
.
Benefits
Online help has largely replaced live customer support. Before its availability, support could only be given through printed
documentation,
postal mail, or
telephone
A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...
(which is expensive).
When customers
troubleshoot
Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process ope ...
their own problems, quite often they can get to a solution by themselves, saving time and money. More companies can afford this kind of help system, allowing them to compete with the larger companies more effectively.
Platforms
Online help is created using
help authoring tools or
component content management system
A component content management system (CCMS) is a content management system that manages content at a granular level (component) rather than at the document level. Each component represents a single topic, concept or asset (for example an image, ...
s. It is delivered in a wide variety of formats, some