Using JavaHelp for Online Documentation
With so many options for online help systems, you may wonder why you should use JavaHelp or how it compares with other online help systems. JavaHelp may be not only the best online help system to use with your Java applications or applets but also a great source for providing online documentation in general.
Why Use JavaHelp for Online Help?
If you are designing online help for a Java application, JavaHelp is the best help system for the job. Since JavaHelp is written in Java, it is platform-independent and guaranteed to run in any environment in which its associated Java application runs. Also, since JavaHelp is implemented using Java Foundation Class (JFC) components, Java programming can customize JavaHelp’s interfaces and functionality.
JavaHelp offers many online help-presentation options. You can design it for standalone, context-sensitive, or embedded modes; you can also use other standard help features such as pop-up windows, secondary windows, and multimedia integration.
Finally, JavaHelp is easy to merge and update. If you have different software applications with different HelpSets, you can merge them so that users see a single, integrated online help system. If you ever have to update your JavaHelp topics, you can easily do so since JavaHelp uses standard HTML files for its help topics.
Comparing JavaHelp with Other Help Systems
Help authors today have many options for providing online documentation. Most help authors are familiar ...