Creating help text

General
1

Looking for recommendations when creating help text for an application.

2

Me, Mac user, using Freeway to create the pages.

Previously, I simply copied the folder containing the pages into the application root folder,
calling them by

[code]app_f=GetFolderItem("").Child(“App Internal Stuff”).Child(“Readme”).Child(“index.html”)
if app_f <> nil then
if app_f.Exists then

  t=new RunHelpClass
  t.Run
  
  'app_f.Launch
  
end if

end if[/code]

HelpClass module:

[code] dim s_str as String

s_str=""
select case app.OSX_Name
case “Tiger”
s_str=chr(34)+"/Volumes/"+Volume(0).Name+"/System/Library/CoreServices/Help Viewer.app/Contents/MacOS/Help Viewer"+chr(34)+" “+chr(34)+”/Volumes/"+ app.app_f.AbsolutePath+chr(34)
else
s_str=chr(34)+"/Volumes/"+Volume(0).Name+"/System/Library/CoreServices/HelpViewer.app/Contents/MacOS/HelpViewer"+chr(34)+" “+chr(34)+”/Volumes/"+ app.app_f.AbsolutePath+chr(34)
end Select
s_str=ReplaceAll(s_str,":","/")

'MsgBox s_str
app.app_s=new Shell
app.app_s.Mode=1
app.app_s.Execute s_str[/code]

The the difference at OSX_Name, “HelpViewer” is the name of the Apple Help Viewer in Mac OS X Tiger,
“Help Viewer” in Mac OS X Leopard and newer.

To get OS version:

[code]dim sys1, sys2 as Integer

'#if TargetMacOS

//be more specific
call System.Gestalt(“sys1”, sys1)
call System.Gestalt(“sys2”, sys2)

select case sys1
case 10 //os=“Mac OS X”
select case sys2
case 4
OSX_Name=“Tiger”
case 5
OSX_Name=“Leopard”
case 6
OSX_Name=“Snow Leopard”
case 7
OSX_Name=“Lion”
case 8
OSX_Name=“Mt. Lion”
case 9
OSX_Name=“Mavericks”
else
OSX_Name=“Mavericks” //fake thing for future versions
end Select
end Select

'if debugbuild then MsgBox "Debugbuild: "+OSX_Name
'#end if[/code]

Now, with Xojo, I’m using AppWrapper to get the help merged into the compiled project file.
Also, now using Freeway Pro to let it create XHTML files, required for Apple Help.

3

Thank you Detlef, but right now I’m looking for Windows or cross-platform.

4

Xojo: Third Party Products - Help Authoring and Online Help

5

Any other recommendations?

6

How about creating HTML files and using the built in HTML viewer for display and navigation?

7

or create a PDF document and open it with the default PDF viewer.

8

I think I’ve settled on HTML HELP Workshop.