Help Authoring for Linux

From: Harold Halbleib (info_at_excelsoftware.com)
Date: 07/15/05 

Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 18:23:38 -0600

QuickHelp 2.0
Help Authoring for Windows, Macintosh & Linux

Placitas, NM ? July 8, 2005 - Excel Software began shipping QuickHelp
2.0 for Windows, Macintosh and Linux. QuickHelp is a development tool
for creating and deploying application help on Windows 95 through XP,
Mac OS 9, Mac OS X and Linux. QuickHelp is unique in its ability to
author, maintain and test application help in a single tabbed window
running on your platform of choice, then deploy the help system to
virtually any computer. Help information resides in an XML file
distributed with a royalty-free, native viewer executable for each
platform.

QuickHelp 2.0 adds configurable actions, tables, parameters, default
options, precompiled indexes and other performance enhancements making
it 2 to 3 times faster than previous versions. Configurable actions
include running an executable, presenting a popup message, linking to
different topics based on platform, running COM methods, sending Apple
Events, running a compiled AppleScript or presenting QuickTime movies.
In addition to traditional tables with bordered rows and columns, tables
can present tabular data without borders or various styles of itemized
lists providing infinite formatting possibilities. Developers can
parameterize topics, actions, tables and other aspects of the help
system when installing or running their application. For example, a
single help file can provide customized help that is tailored to
different platforms or product editions.

For the end user, the QuickHelp Viewer supports an expandable table of
contents, web browser like navigation, an index with automatic search
field and word searches across topics. Topics are presented with text,
images, tables, user initiated actions and hypertext links between
topics plus context sensitive help from any application.

For the developer, the QuickHelp Builder provides a highly productive
authoring environment that combines the Contents and Index panels from
the Viewer edition with the Edit and General panels for editing the help
system. The Edit panel is used to add, format, edit, delete or move
topics within the Contents tree. Each topic has a field for defining
index words and a context sensitive identifier string that links it to
an application menu, button or dialog. Topics or portions of a topic
can be conditionally visible based on the current platform or other
variables. The General panel has buttons to save, open, close, verify,
import or export help topics. Developers can manage a library of
images, actions, tables and default options that customize QuickHelp for
authoring and deployment. QuickHelp handles administrative activities
like maintaining links between topics, reordering topics and locating
bad links, missing index words or unused and missing references for
images, tables or actions.

QuickHelp Windows, QuickHelp MacOSX and QuickHelp Linux are $195 each or
all three platforms for $295. Each platform includes a Builder and
Viewer executable, QuickHelp Viewer distribution license, a printed
manual, online help and PDF manual on CD. Site licensing information,
product descriptions and online ordering are available at
www.excelsoftware.com. Established in 1985, Excel Software provides
development tools to thousands of Windows, Macintosh and Linux
developers worldwide.

Excel Software
Ph: (505) 771-3719
Fax: (505) 771-3718
Web: http://www.excelsoftware.com
Email: info@excelsoftware.com

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