Creating Effective JavaHelp

Creating Effective JavaHelp covers the main features and options of JavaHelp and shows you how to create a basic JavaHelp system, prepare help topics, and deploy the help system in your application. Aimed at all levels of Java developers and technical writers, the book takes a chapter-by-chapter approach to building concepts, and will give you complete understanding of how to create usable JavaHelp systems and integrate them into Java applications and applets.

• Understanding JavaHelp
  
• Creating a basic JavaHelp system
  
• Creating an index, table of contents, and word search index
  
• Integrating Help into an application
  
• Programming with JavaHelp: Implementing context-sensitive help
  
• Customizing the JavaHelp viewer
  
• Multi-media help
  
• Using third-party help-authoring tools

Table of contents

Preface

1.. Understanding JavaHelp

What Is JavaHelp?

Using JavaHelp for Online Documentation

Understanding the Files in a HelpSet

Following the JavaHelp Process

Installing JavaHelp on Your Computer

Seeing JavaHelp in Action

Deciding How to Present a HelpSet

Deciding How to Install a HelpSet

Encapsulating HelpSet Files

Finding More Information on JavaHelp

2.. Creating Your First HelpSet

Creating the HelpSet's Directory Structure

Creating HelpSet Data and Navigation Files

Creating Help Topic Files

Checking Your Work

Testing the Finished HelpSet

3.. Planning the JavaHelp Project

General Planning Tasks

Planning Tasks Specific to JavaHelp

4.. Preparing Help Topics

Planning Your Help Topics

Creating Help Topics and Applying Appropriate HTML Tags

Writing Effective and Meaningful Help Topics

Using Preexisting HTML Topic Files

5.. Creating HelpSet Data and Navigation Files

Understanding XML

Creating the HelpSet File

Assigning Map IDs to Help Topics

Specifying the Navigation Components

6.. Enhancing the HelpSet

Creating Pop-up and Secondary Windows

Customizing the Navigation Facility

Merging HelpSets

7.. Using the JavaHelp API for Advanced Presentation Options

The TypeFacer Application

Invoking Help with a Button, Menu Item, or Key

Using Screen-Level Context-Sensitive Help

Using Field-Level Context-Sensitive Help

Embedding Help into the Application

8.. Deploying the Help System to Your Users

Encapsulating the HelpSet

Delivering All the Required Files

Ensuring Basic Java Support

9.. Using Third-Party Help-Authoring Tools

How JavaHelp Relates to Third-Party Tools

How Third-Party Tools Work

A.. HelpSet Tags

B.. Lightweight Component Tags

C.. The JavaHelp API

D.. TypeFacer.java Source Listing
Glossary
Index