Online help
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Online help is topic-oriented, procedural or reference information delivered through
software application, web application or operating system. However, it can also present information on a broad range of subjects. Online help linked to the application's state (what the user is doing) is called Context-sensitive help
.
Benefits
Online help has largely replaced live customer support. Before its availability, support could only be given through printed
postal mail, telephone
, or in person
Platforms
Online help is created using help authoring tools or component content management systems. It is delivered in a wide variety of formats, some proprietary and some open-standard, including:
- Hypertext Markup Language (HTML Help, HTML-based Help, JavaHelp, and Oracle Help
- Adobe Portable Document Format(PDF)
Online help is also provided via
live chat systems, one step removed from telephone calls
. This allows the support person to conduct several support sessions simultaneously, thus reducing costs. The transcript is immediately available and can be sent to the customer after the session ends.
The chat feature also reduces the intense negativity that can be directed at customer support personnel, requiring the customer to calm down and articulate their thoughts more clearly.
Microsoft help platforms
Microsoft develops the platforms for delivering help systems in the Microsoft Windows operating system.
| Platform name | Description | Public?[clarification needed] |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft QuickHelp | Ralph Walden joined Microsoft in 1987 and wrote an online help system for MS-DOS and OS/2 called QuickHelp. Ralph was also primarily responsible for it. | |
help command |
||
Microsoft WinHelp (.hlp) |
Based on the Windows 3.1 and Windows 95/NT. The popular Windows Help program (WinHlp32.exe) was included with all Windows operating systems from Windows 3.0 until the Windows XP operating system. However, the help engine is not included with Windows Vista and is only available as a download.[1] |
Yes |
HTML Help (.chm) |
Also known as Microsoft Compiled HTML Help (the name of its file format), it based on HTML and other data such as images and JavaScript. HTML Help 1.0 was released in 1997. In 2006, it was available from Microsoft as HTML Help 1.4. | Yes |
Help and Support Center |
A deprecated online help system in Windows Me and Windows XP. | |
| Microsoft Help 2 (.hxs) | In 2001, Microsoft announced plans for a wide release of HTML Help 2.0, which came to be called Office 2007 .
| |
AP Help 1.0 (.h1s) |
Assistance Platform Help is based on Microsoft Assistance Markup Language. It is the format developed for and shipped with Windows Vista. It will not be made publicly available as an authoring platform for other software vendors, but will be used by Microsoft, OEMs, and certain corporate users. Version 2.0 of the Assistance Platform Help engine is currently on hold. | |
| No |
Other platforms
| Platform name | Description |
|---|---|
| HelpConsole (local HTML files or web-based) | Operating Systems .
|
| AmigaGuide (.guide) | The official hypertext document file format designed for the Amiga. |
| Apple Help (.HELP) | Mac OS 8.5 + operating system.
|
| WebHelp | A Macintosh .
|
| Sun JavaHelp (.js) | A Java Runtime Environment (JRE).
|
| Oracle Help | Two formats developed by the Oracle Corporation: Oracle Help for Java (OHJ) and Oracle Help for Web (OHW).[2] |
| Help library (.HLB) | The official help file format designed for VMS. |
| DotNetHelp | A new Windows help format, as an alternative to the .chm format, that also supports .NET applications. |
| Texinfo (also known as the "info") | The official documentation system for the GNU project .
|
Unix man pages |
The standard method used to document (among others) Unix programs and shell commands, System and Library calls, Special files and File formats . |
| Information Presentation Facility (IPF) | The help system used by IBM's OS/2 system, eComStation and ArcaOS.[3] It is the official documentation system for the fpGUI Toolkit project. |
| Norton Guides |
See also
- Balloon help
- Darwin Information Typing Architecture
- DocBook
- Frequently Asked Questions
- List of help authoring tools
- Microsoft Assistance Markup Language (Microsoft AML)
- Web help
- Help desk
References
- ^ The Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Developer Story: Application Compatibility Cookbook § "Help Engine Support"
- ^ Oracle Help Technologies
- ^ "ArcaOS IPF Help". Retrieved 2020-08-24.
| Authority control databases: National |
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