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Developing HTML-Based Help with RoboHelp HTML: In-Depth Basics

Availability: Public or onsite
Course duration: 2 days
Hands-on (one person per computer)
Cost: Contact us for pricing
Companion course: RoboHelp HTML Beyond the Basics
Other courses to consider: Developing HTML-Based Help: Design, Trends, and Strategies

This course is designed for the new or intermediate author who wants to learn the best way to develop an HTML Help system with RoboHelp HTML. In this course, you'll learn to create a context-sensitive HTML Help system beginning with setting up the project through deploying the help system to your users. You'll also learn about design aspects of RoboHelp development; this isn't just a "push the button" course.

This in-depth foundation course covers not just how RoboHelp HTML works, but also:

• The processes you should follow to efficiently set up and manage your help system with RoboHelp HTML
• Workable design ideas for getting the most of HTML-based help
• Real world strategies for setting up and maintaining HTML Help systems

We'll use a realistic case study, including an application that you will use to create a working context-sensitive help system.

This is a hands-on course. In fact, over the course of two days, you'll practice using RoboHelp HTML through more than 35 in-depth, practical exercises. This class is instructed by Cheryl Lockett Zubak, one of the nation's most experienced RoboHelp Office instructors and a charter member of the Microsoft HTML Help MVP program.

Note: Outlines are subject to change without notice but will cover the same content.

Course outline

Part 1. The Basics of HTML-Based Help

• A Few Comments About this Course
• What is HTML-Based Help?
• Some New Terminology
• What is the "Compiler" for HTML-Based Help?
• What Are the Components of an HTML-Based Help System?

Part 2. About RoboHelp HTML

• What Is RoboHelp HTML?
• Opening a RoboHelp HTML Project
• About the Work Environment
• Closing a Project
• About the Course Project

Part 3. Developing a Project

• The Basics of Projects
• Creating a New Project
• Setting Up "Preferences"

Part 4. Developing Topics

• Design Reminders
• The Basics of HTML Topics
• Where can You Place Topics?
• Creating New Topics
• Filenaming Tips
• Editing Topic Properties
• Opening Topics
• Opening an External HTML File
• Previewing Topics
• Spell Checking Topics
• The Construction of a Topic in the TrueCode View
• How Much HTML Do You Need to Know?
• Adding Special Characters

Part 5. Controlling Topic Navigation

• Design Reminders
• Creating Jumps
• Creating Popups
• Creating a New Topic as You Create a Link
• Editing Links
• Using the Link View
• Creating Email Links
• Linking to a Website
• Linking to Another HTML File

Part 6. Building the Project

• Design Reminders
• Compiling the Project
• Fixing Broken Links

Part 7. Refining the Content

• Design Reminders
• The Basics of HTML Formatting
• The Basics of HTML Stylesheets
• How RoboHelp HTML Handles Styles
• Applying Stylesheets
• Applying Lists
• Creating the List Styles
• Creating Tables
• Modifying Tables
• An Introduction to Dynamic HTML (DHTML)
• Adding Special Effects
• Creating Expandable Text

Part 8. Developing Keywords

• Design Reminders
• Internal (Topic) vs. External (HHK) Keywords
• Adding Keywords through Topic Properties
• Using the Smart Index Wizard
• Adding Keywords with the Index Designer
• Developing Keyword Models
• Editing and Sorting Keywords
• Creating "See Also" Keywords

Part 9. Developing Related Topics and Browse Sequences

• Design Reminders for Related Topics
• Using the Related Topics Wizard
• Design Reminders for Browse Sequences
• Using the Browse Sequence Editor

Part 10. Working with Graphics

• The Basics of HTML Graphics
• Inserting and Positioning Graphics
• Linking Graphics
• Creating Graphical Backgrounds
• Creating Image Maps

Part 11. Setting Up the Navigational Pane

• Design Reminders
• Setting Up the Contents Tab
• Adding thse Index and Search Tabs
• Creating an HTML Help Glossary

Part 12. Setting Up Windows

• The Basics of Windowing
• Setting the Default Window Name
• Setting Up the Tripane Window
• Creating Secondary Windows
• Opening a Topic in a Secondary Window

Part 13. Developing Context-Sensitivity

• The Basics of Context-Sensitivity
• Developing the Map File
• Creating What's This? Help
• Creating Window-Level Help
• Testing Context-Sensitivity

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RoboHelp is a registered trademark of eHelp Corporation.

Last updated, May 2003

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