Alternative to CHM output

[MC Hammer]

I have been asked to investigate outputs that would be good alternatives to compiled HTML files, and I have a few queries.
We are trying to replace our CHMs with an online output type with a more modern look and feel and with less limitations.
I have investigated the matter and have retained 3 candidates [DotNet, HTML5 (WebHelp 2.0) and WebHelp AIR]. I have made up a table with the pros and cons for all the online outputs and ended up with this list of alternatives.

WebHelp AIR was my preferred solution as it comes as a single file (like HTML Help). Unfortunately, it requires that Adobe AIR be installed on our customers’ machines (not sure whether this is feasible or not) and it does not seem to support context-sensitive help. Can anyone confirm this? Is anyone using this output type?

I am therefore left with HTML5 and DotNet. I know both outputs consist of a collection of files and I would like to know if it is possible to have them installed locally onto our customers’ PCs rather than available from a server via the Internet. My management is not very keen on having the help hosted on a server and would very much prefer to have a single file or a collection of files directly installed on the recipient’s PC. Is anyone using one of these outputs in a similar context?

Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thank you.

[RamonS]

You can install HTML5 and DotNetHelp locally on a PC, but in case of DotNetHelp it requires the MadCap DotNetHelp Viewer application unless you exclusively go with embedded help (help is compiled into the application). You may face the same concerns as with Adobe AIR.
Leaves local HTML5 which needs to be deployed using the MOTW enabled to make it work for the craptastic Internet Explorer. The downside to that is that you need to push tons of small files to the clients rather than one file. If the only means of getting a new version of help is by uninstall/reinstall of the application it should not be a problem. Updating existing installs is a bit trickier because the installer needs to delete files that are no longer needed and do not get overwritten with new versions. Even trickier yet is a drop in replacement because the entire folder structure and included files for the help needs to be deleted first before dropping in the new set of files and folders.

That is the reason why Microsoft still recommends CHM as default help platform for Windows 8.1 Update 1.

[MC Hammer]

Thank you for your prompt reply and valuable input.

Re: DotNet, can’t the MadCap DotNet Help Viewer be pushed to the customers’ machines at the same time as our software (i.e. as part of the install process)?
Also, what do you mean by DotNet embedded help? Is it what the Flare help calls detached or integrated?

I know that I will have to use the MOTW for HTML5 (thank you Microsoft ) but am a bit concerned about deploying this sort of uncompiled help onto our clients’ PCs. Do I need to do something in Flare, or do I just have to provide the whole collection of files to the colleague producing the installers for our software and ask him to add all these files to the installers?

That is the reason why Microsoft still recommends CHM as default help platform for Windows 8.1 Update 1.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?

[NorthEast]

The DotNetHelp viewer could be installed along with the help.

Embedded DotNet Help is what Flare's help is, i.e. it's embedded in the application, not displayed in the standalone help viewer; I think the help refers to this both as integrated and embedded (for the helpviewer API). Using the DotNet help viewer as a standalone application is referred to as detached.

Note that DotNet help is also uncompiled, so the installer would still need to handle 100s/1000s of files, the same as for HTML5/WebHelp.

When you update the help, note that a single change in a topic will affect other files too like the search indexes. If you publish the output and check the log, you can determine which files have changed since the last publish.

[RamonS]

That is the reason why Microsoft still recommends CHM as default help platform for Windows 8.1 Update 1.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?

See for yourself:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 85%29.aspx
There is nothing else than Microsoft HTML help. Microsoft did come up with MS Help 2.0 a few years back and they use that in some of their own products, but Microsoft decided not to publish that as the new help standard. At the same time they also announced that they will not do anything with HTML Help either beyond version 1.4. That matches the common idea in the software industry "Who needs help anyway??"

I'd go with WebHelp and if the MOTW isn't working deploy a tiny local web server that hosts the help. There are several freeware web servers available that have a very small footprint. That said, this might introduce yet another set of problems because you bring a third party component in that may or may not be maintained and may or may not have any security implications.

[MC Hammer]

Thank you both for your input, and for highlighting the potential issues I may encounter.
I am inclined to go for HTML5 (WebHelp 2.0) with MOTW, as advised. Let's see how it goes .
The thing I am unclear about is what do I need to tell the developers who will be coding the call of the help from our software? I usually give them the name of our CHM files (We have approx. 20 different products, each of which with a dedicated Help) but now, what information do I need to provide? The path to the index.htm file? To start with, we are planning on installing the full help (collection of files) on each client computer that has our software installed.

Thank you again for the valuable info.

[RamonS]

There are two means of accessing WebHelp as CSH and both are documented in the Flare help, see here: http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare ... lopers.htm

[MC Hammer]

There are two means of accessing WebHelp as CSH and both are documented in the Flare help, see here: http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare ... lopers.htm

Oooooooooooops, did not find this whilst searching the Flare Help
Thank you!