Welcome
to NetHelp
NetHelp is an open standard for viewing HTML-based online help. NetHelp
allows you to provide context-sensitive online help for an application--in
any environment--where Netscape Navigator is present.
NetHelp enables you to:
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Provide context-sensitive help for HTML-based intranet and Web applications
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Author and maintain single source files for your help system
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Use Netscape's HTML extensions and Plug-ins to provide rich, engaging content
Authoring
for NetHelp
HTML is fast becoming a standard for network-based information display.
Netscape Help therefore benefits from the new tools available for producing
content in HTML. The same tools and techniques used to publish information
to web sites can be used to construct NetHelp systems. These traditional
features, combined with the NetHelp Builder, will enable you to author
and produce powerful help systems.
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You can code for NetHelp with Netscape Composer or your choice of HTML
editors.
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For functionality beyond HTML, you can use JavaScript functions embedded
within HTML pages, like you'd use WinHelp macros or Guide Script.
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You can create your own interface, or adapt the existing NetHelp look and
feel to your own help system.
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Finally, you can use the NetHelp Builder to create a Table of Contents
and keyword Index with incremental search capabilities, and present your
help system in the NetHelp browser.
Who
Should Read This Guide
You should read this guide if you want to build a complete HTML help system
like the one found in Netscape Communicator 4.01. This document is aimed
toward three types of authors:
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Those who only need to edit text in existing NetHelp files.
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Those who need to add new topics, or change the names of existing topics.
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Those who need to create entirely new sections or help systems.
You'll find this guide useful if you're a technical writer or help content
provider. It will be helpful for you to be familiar with HTML, and to have
some experience with online help systems.
What
This Guide Covers
This guide presents an overview of NetHelp 2.0 and describes how to author
content for a NetHelp 2.0 help system. It illustrates all the steps you
will take to create, test, and deliver a help system, guides you through
troubleshooting, and answers some frequently asked questions.
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Getting Started give you an overview of the authoring process for
NetHelp, defines NetHelp 2.0 system terminology, explains the role of the
NetHelp Builder, and describes the files you will be working with and ways
you can customize your help system.
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Authoring explains how to prepare your computer, and illustrates
how to create or convert your topic files and links.
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Building shows you how to install the NetHelp Builder and process
your help files, explains how to test and troubleshoot, answers frequently
asked questions, and supports your delivery of an outstanding help system.
Building
a NetHelp System
Whether you are starting fresh or converting an existing help system, the
process of building a NetHelp system falls into three phases:
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involves understanding the NetHelp system structure
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learning NetHelp terminology
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planning the structure of your help system
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involves preparing your work space
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writing the topics of your help system
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adding links (or converting) to NetHelp links
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creating (or converting) Table of Contents and Index entries
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may also involve creating a customized user interface
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involves installing and running the NetHelp Builder
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testing your system
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revising and troubleshooting
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delivering the help system to your audience
Parts
of a NetHelp System
Before you begin, it will be helpful to understand the parts that constitute
a NetHelp system.
This platform structure depicts how your help topics are viewed through
a user interface, which is supported by NetHelp's platform, which is supported
by Communicator's platform.
Authorable Help Topics
As an author, you will focus your efforts on providing a body of instructional
information for your users. You may choose to create graphics to support
your text; you might even include animation and sound in your help topics.
Your role as an author also involves tagging elements in your help topics,
just like you would in HTML, but including NetHelp's unique tags for the
Table of Contents and Index.
Configurable User Interface
Your end users will access your help topics through a user interface.
Netscape Communicator and NetHelp provide a platform and a basic user interface,
but you have some control over certain parts of that interface. You may
create your own graphics for the header pane of the help window, and replace
the action buttons in the button bar and locator panes. You may also change
the size of the window and relative sizes of each pane.
NetHelp Platform
NetHelp's JavaScript and HTML code organize the user interface elements
and your unique help topics. NetHelp builds a Table of Contents and keyword
Index for your system.
Communicator Platform
The NetHelp platform rests on the Communicator platform, allowing you
and your end users to view your help system through Netscape's browser.
You will never need to touch the Communicator platform, and NetHelp's
Builder enables you to bypass the NetHelp implementation files as well.
As an author you only interact with the top levels of this system structure.
Panes
in a NetHelp Window
The NetHelp window is divided into areas of navigation and information
called panes.
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The Locator Pane contains the Table of Contents, Index, and Find
functions.
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The Header Pane contains graphical information such as the banner
and section icons.
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The Topic Pane contains the topics, the body of your help information.
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The Bottom Pane contains the button bar of action icons and the
progress bar.
When you compare these diagrams, you can see how the parts the the NetHelp
system fall into panes of the NetHelp window.
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The authorable content (your topics) falls into the Topic Pane.
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The configurable user interface (your banner and section graphics) falls
into the Header Pane.
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The NetHelp platform (our user interface and implementation) falls into
the Locator Pane and Bottom Pane.
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The Communicator platform supports the entire system.
Directories
in a NetHelp System
Before you begin building your help system, you should understand the NetHelp
directory structure. All local NetHelp systems live in the NetHelp directory,
which is part of your Communicator installation.
On Mac and UNIX systems, the NetHelp directory location is relative
to where you installed your Communicator directory.
On PCs the default location is:
C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\Program\NetHelp\
Your help system will live in the NetHelp directory. Within Your Help
directory, you will create subdirectories for each of your sections. The
NetHelp implementation files (graphics files, JavaScript files, and HTML
files) must also be located in Your Help directory.
Each of your sections will have your HTML topic file, graphics files
for the section Header, an HTML file for the section Header, and the help
project file. Any graphics, animations, or sounds you create to support
your help topics must also reside in this section directory.
Files
in a NetHelp System
Files for your help system will live on two levels: some files support
the implementation of your help system and live in Your Help directory,
while other files are specific to your help topics and live within your
Section directories.
Files in Your Help Directory
The files that live in Your Help directory support the implementation
of your NetHelp system. These files are included in the NetHelp template
and do not need to be modified.
There are three types of implementation files in Your Help directory:
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Graphics files are .GIFs that produce the buttons of the
NetHelp interface.
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Structural files are .HTMs that produce the frameset, styles,
and structure of your NetHelp window.
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JavaScripts are .JS files that produce the interactivity of your
NetHelp system.
Files in Your Section Directories
The files that live in your section directories are specific to your
help topics. You will produce the majority of these files, and then use
the NetHelp Builder to create the project file.
There are four types of files in your Section directories:
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The Topic file is an .HTM file in which you write all of
you help topics for that section.
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The Header file is also an .HTM file, and produces your help banner
and the interaction among your sections.
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The Graphics files are .GIF files that include your help banner,
your section icons, and any graphics you create to support your help information.
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The Project file is an .HPF file that is automatically created for
each section when you run the NetHelp Builder.
Planning
Your NetHelp System
Now that you are more familiar with the structure of the NetHelp windows,
directories, and files, you'll need to plan your own help system. You begin
by structuring your help content.
Sections
You will divide your help system into "chunks" of related information
called sections, which show up in the Header pane. In a large help system,
sections may be used to organize a suite of products. Netscape Communicator's
help is divided into sections by product: Navigator, Messenger, Composer,
etc. For a smaller help system, sections may be used to organize information
like the parts in a book. This NetHelp Authoring Guide is divided into
sections by the process of building a help system: Getting Started, Authoring,
and Building.
Subsections
Your sections are divided into subsections, which show up in both the
Locator pane and the Topic pane. These subsections are a way of breaking
up the topic information and providing a way for your users to scan through
the help information. In the Locator pane the subsections work like folders,
expanding and contracting to reveal their topics.
Topics
Each subsection is further divided into topics. The heading for each
topic shows up in the Locator pane, and the heading and body of information
shows up in the Topic pane.