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OFFICIAL MICROSOFT HTML HELP AUTHORING KIT
Steve Wexler. 1998. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Press. [ISBN 1-57231-603-9. 298 pages, including index and CDROM. $39.99 (softcover).]
Steve Wexler's Official Microsoft HTML Help authoring kit is a combination of tutorial, reference manual, and sales pitch. This book is the first of many to be written about HTML Help, which Microsoft and the author claim will revolutionize the future of online help, stand-alone online documents, Web delivery of information, and even application design.
HTML Help is Microsoft's replacement for WinHelp. Because it is based on HTML and uses APIs to access and display its information (as opposed to RTF files and an EXE program), HTML Help promises to be more flexible, more open, and more powerful. HTML Help is still being developed, so it's important to know the difference between what it can do today and what it might be able to do tomorrow. For more information about HTML Help, point your browser to www.microsoft.com/ workshop.author/htmlhelp/.
You need to read this book if you are trying to keep up with new developments in user assistance, especially if you plan to implement HTML Help anytime soon.
The title of this book contains all the key words: HTML Help, official, and Microsoft. Not surprisingly, the book describes HTML Help from the perspective of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft's influence is good if you consider the fact that Microsoft developed the tools and should know the most about them. It's not as good if you want straight-from-the-hip advice about how and when to use HTML Help. You won't find a critical evaluation of HTML Help in this book, and you won't find out much about your alternatives. However, you will find an extensive description of each feature of HTML Help, including some that don't even work yet.
Following is a list of the major sections of the book:
Chapter 1: Help systems past, present, and future
Chapter 2: The big pictureunderstanding what's behind
HTML Help
Chapter 3: Creating a simple HTML Help system
Chapter 4: Navigation and information types
Chapter 5: Creating modular HTML Help systems
Chapter 6: Refining your HTML Help system
Chapter 7: Understanding and creating context-sensitive HTML Help
Chapter 8: The HTML Help API
Chapter 9: HTML Help on other platforms
Chapter...