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Work Write, Inc. and KeyWorks Software Announce Microsoft HTML Help Enhancement Tools

PHILADELPHIA, PA, February 22, 1999 - Work Write, Inc. and KeyWorks Software today announced two new products, KeyUpdate and KeyHelp, which provide significant capabilities to Microsoft HTML Help compiled help systems or Internet Explorer-based online help systems and intranet information.

KeyUpdate is an ActiveX control that allows authors and developers to update compiled HTML Help systems. Using KeyUpdate, you can compile your HTML Help systems, distribute them to users, and then distribute updates (created with KeyUpdate), containing new, deleted, or revised information, to be combined with the original HTML Help file. Once you distribute the update, users just select the file - from a Web link or from their desktops - to add your changes to the help systems on their computers. System administrators can also drive the update process, in case you don't want users involved.

KeyHelp is an ActiveX control that enhances the capabilities of HTML Help by providing features that are not expected until HTML Help 2.0, predicted to be released sometime in 2000. These features include:

Real HTML Popups. One of the deficiencies of HTML-based help is the lack of easily opened and dismissed popups - that is, temporary windows that are typically used for definitions. Unlike other popup windows, KeyHelp's windows can be dismissed with any key press or mouse click. KeyHelp's popups also support all types of HTML information - including text, links, stylesheets, graphics, backgrounds, animation, and Dynamic HTML. In addition, these popups provide control over characteristics such as dimensions, timing, and placement. As such, they are suitable not simply for traditional uses, but also for multimedia, animation, and other types of training and reference purposes. KeyHelp popups may be opened from an HTML page or, because they support mapped ids, used for context-sensitive help.

Topic Information Types. The intent of information types is to allow authors to control when specific topics are made available, based on such characteristics as computer knowledge, language, or subject matter. While KeyHelp doesn't change the information types capabilities of the HTML Help tripane design, it does provide programmatic control of topics based on a variety of attributes: user level, subject matter, time elapsed, and a variety of author-defined settings. These settings can be controlled by the author or from a program.

Programmable Embedded Help. Just about every HTML-based help system provides some support for embedded help - that is, help that's part of the real estate and functioning of the software rather than a separate window that "floats" above it. KeyHelp is a completely customizable and embeddable HTML Help development environment. With a programmer's assistance, you can, for example, create your own toolbar and determine how the tools will act. You can control user interaction with information types. In addition, unlike other HTML-based help environments and embedded help facilities, KeyHelp provides complete programmatic access to Dynamic HTML through the Dynamic Object Model (DOM). KeyHelp can be used with any programming language that supports COM.

KeyHelp will be available for public beta from the KeyWorks website (http://www.keyworks.net) in June 2001. The product release is expected end of summer, 1999. The release will occur concurrently with the new version of KeyTools, a free set of HTML Help utilities. Like the other foundation technologies developed by Work Write, Inc. and KeyWorks Software, KeyHelp will be free of charge, except for the price of the download.

KeyUpdate and KeyHelp are among the innovative technologies resulting from the partnership of Cheryl Lockett Zubak and Ralph Walden. Ralph Walden is best known as Microsoft's lead developer for WinHelp and HTML Help. He began working on online help systems for Microsoft in 1987 with the creation of QuickHelp. In 1992, he took over the development of WinHelp, producing WinHelp 4.0 and Help Workshop. In 1996, he began creating the largest team Microsoft has ever put on a help project, and was the system architect for HTML Help. He left Microsoft in 1997, and is now principal of KeyWorks Software (http://www.keyworks.net).

Upon leaving Microsoft, Ralph teamed up with Cheryl Lockett Zubak, president of Work Write, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in the development of user assistance for the Windows and Web platforms. An accomplished popular speaker on hypermedia design and development, Cheryl is coauthor of Designing Windows 95 Help and a forthcoming book about HTML-based help design. In February 1999, Cheryl was named "Best Speaker or Instructor" and "All Time, All Around Help Guru" at the Help Authors Choice Awards at the WinWriters Online Help Conference in Seattle, Washington. Because of her industry standing and expertise with HTML Help, Microsoft named Cheryl a charter member of the Microsoft HTML Help MVP proram. Cheryl is also a certified trainer for RoboHelp Office and ForeHelp.

HTML Help is the Microsoft development environment for HTML-based help and online reference information. Currently in version 1.2, HTML Help has replaced WinHelp as the standard help facility for Microsoft products. It is shipping with a variety of Microsoft applications, including Internet Explorer 4.0 and higher, Windows 98, and Money 99. Windows 2000 will also ship with HTML Help systems.

For further details, contact Cheryl Lockett Zubak at Work Write, Inc., 128 South Eastview Avenue, Feasterville, PA 19053 USA. Phone: +1 215.357.3453 Fax: +1 215.357.0695 Email: cheri@workwrite.com Website: http://www.workwrite.com

Last updated, February 1999

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