Online Help

1
Online Help

• Development Overview

2
Identify Topics

• Topic discrete, identifiable, usable chunk of
  information
• Procedures
• Shortcuts
• Background
• Definitions
• FAQ question
• Determine paragraph layout styles by topic type

3
Determine Connections

• Develop relationships between individual topics
• Hyperlinks within text (e.g. to definitions)
• See also links at the end of a topic
• Forward/Back browse sequences
• Construct a site map showing relationships

4
Design Individual Topics

• Name
• Type
• Category (i.e. book chapter)

• Glossary terms
• Search Keywords
• Index terms
• Related Topics
• Browse sequence

5
Screen Design

• Changeable space
• Uncontrolled line length
• Minimal scrolling
• Extent indicators
• Multiple windows
• Color availability
• Greater graphic range

• Different screen grids
• Narrower margins
• Less indentation
• One-sided
• Limited ruling
• Closer lines

6
Determine Affordances

• Hyperlinks
• Buttons
• Hot spots
• Browse controllers
• Pop-ups
• Mouse-overs
• Non-scrolling regions

• Context sensitivity
• System helps
• back button
• history
• search
• index
• etc.

7
Select Development Method

• RoboHelp
• primary help development software available
• www.ehelp.com
• DreamWeaver (www.macromedia.com)