Authoring and formatting content

The WYSIWYG Editor makes it simple to author and format content. It's like using your favorite word processor with the added power and control of desktop publishing. You can work on all your topics without ever having to type in a single line of HTML code. Everything is generated behind the scenes while you focus on the topic content.

You can quickly create and format text, work with tables, add links, images, and all your other Help components. Depending on how you like to work, you can run a thorough spell check of all topics in your project. Or, if you prefer to proof topics as you work with them, you can spell check topics individually.

If you are an experienced HTML developer, you can get into the code by using the TrueCode Editor. This tool color-codes the HTML syntax so it's quick and easy to modify the HTML tags.

Format topics

You can experiment with different format options until your topics look just right. Style sheets are one of the best features of HTML and are similar to Microsoft Word templates. They contain formatting information and you link them to topics so you can apply the styles to text. When you want to change a style, you change the style sheet and any topics linked to the style sheet are automatically updated. In HTML, there are three kinds of styles — external, embedded, and inline.

Communicate with hotspots and popup windows

You can enhance the way users interact with your topic content by adding hotspots. Hotspot text is clickable — when users select it, the text performs an action.

Want to add extra information related to a word or phrase? Add an expanding hotspot. When users click the text, it expands and displays more information immediately following the hotspot.

Save screen space and keep numbered steps short by including drop-down hotspots. When users click the text, information is displayed below it, including text and graphics. Your steps for procedures can turn into more detailed lists for those who want to see a little more information. Users only have to click the ones they want to read and click again to close them from view.

Do you like to display information in popup windows? Use text-only popups. When users click the hotspot, brief information appears in a window that "pops up" on screen. When they're done reading, they click to close the window.

Add images and special effects

As the saying goes, "A picture tells a thousand words." Include colorful images (including animated .GIF files) and screen shots in your project to support content and enhance concepts. You can even use images as clickable links to topics or other destinations. HTML files support both .GIF and .JPG file formats. HTML-based Help topics support splash screens — images that display for a few seconds when topics open.

Effective use of Dynamic HTML and multimedia can make your project look truly professional and exciting. Dynamic HTML gives you the flexibility to design outstanding visual effects. You can format topic content to fly on the page, fade in, spiral into place, zoom in and out, glow, and appear with a silhouette background (drop shadow). For example, your Welcome or Introduction topic can include text that slowly fades into view, to display your company's logo, slogan or some other information.

Help topics and Web pages provide a variety of interesting information with sound and video clips. For example, a Help topic can demonstrate to users how to perform a task with a live "show me" topic that is an actual video clip of using the application. You can include sound and video in a wide variety of formats in your HTML files for educational or entertainment purposes.