The following table shows some common features in Help and in which Help format you can find them.
Feature |
Microsoft HTML Help |
WebHelp |
JavaHelp |
Oracle Help |
ActiveX controls |
Yes |
Yes1 |
No |
No |
ALinks |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Bookmarks |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Browser-independent |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Browse sequences |
Yes2 |
Yes |
Yes2 |
Yes |
Capitalization: small caps all caps |
Yes Yes |
Yes Yes |
No No |
Yes9 Yes9 |
Colors: background popup window background custom link text |
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
Yes No Yes No Yes |
Yes No Yes Yes Yes |
Compilation/compression |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Context-sensitive Help |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Cross-platform |
No3 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Custom TOC icons |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Custom windows |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
Expandable and collapsible table of contents |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Font (selecting a specific font or font family) |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Forms |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Frames/framesets |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Full-text search |
Yes4 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Horizontal lines |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
HTML Help controls (splash screens, WinHelp topic controls, shortcuts, etc.) |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
HTML Help files generated by Word 2000 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Image: include in project links maps borders |
Yes Yes Yes Yes |
Yes Yes Yes Yes |
Yes Yes No No |
Yes Yes Yes Yes |
Index: multi-level merged |
Yes Yes |
Yes No |
Yes No |
Yes Yes |
Information types |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Java applets/Javascript |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes9 |
Keywords: index topic |
Yes Yes |
Yes Yes |
Yes Yes |
Yes Yes |
Link controls |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Links to: external topics FTP sites email addresses |
Yes Yes Yes |
Yes Yes Yes |
No No No |
Yes Yes Yes |
Lists (other than bulleted and numbered) |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Marquees |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes9 |
Merged tables of contents |
Yes |
Yes5 |
No |
Yes |
Multimedia |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Online glossary |
Yes2 |
No |
No |
No |
Paragraph alignment (<P> tags) |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Popup links |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Popups, text-only |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sound files |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes9 |
Special effects: Dynamic HTML expanding hotspots drop-down hotspots |
Yes1 Yes Yes |
Yes1 Yes Yes |
No No6 No6 |
No No No |
Splash screens |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Style sheets (cascading) |
Yes |
Yes |
No7 |
Yes |
Related topics (Related Topics) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes2 |
Yes |
Scripts |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Tables: alignment border effects widths merging cells in within tables |
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
No Yes Yes8 Yes Yes |
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
Tri-pane window design |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Text: animations effects paragraph positioning spacing |
Yes Yes Yes Yes |
Yes1 Yes1 Yes Yes |
No No Yes No |
No No Yes Yes |
Video files |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes9 |
Visual Basic scripts |
Yes |
Yes1 |
No |
Yes |
1Only supported on Internet Explorer 4.0 or later — not supported on Netscape Navigator
2Supported through RoboHELP extensions
3Works on all Windows 32-bit platforms
4When Microsoft HTML project is compiled
5When generated from RoboHELP Classic
6Text of hotspot appears in content of topic, but does not include the expanding or drop-drop hotspot effect
7Only embedded style sheets are supported
8Table width can be set in pixels, not as a percent
9Available in Oracle Help release 4.1.2 or later