Windows comparison

Windows are the “containers” that display topics in the compiled Help system. The following information explains how they work in WinHelp and HTML Help.

WinHelp

Microsoft HTML Help

WinHelp projects can include main, secondary and popup windows

HTML Help projects can include main, secondary and popup windows (both links to HTML topics or text-only topics)

Main window is WinHelp viewer (built into Windows operating system)

Main window is HTML Help viewer (part of Windows 98 and Windows 2000 operating system, installable via Internet Explorer browser with non-Windows 98 or 2000 systems)

Main and secondary windows can be customized to include title bar (caption), size and position settings, background color (scrolling and non-scrolling regions), and extra navigation buttons

Main and secondary windows can be customized for title bar (caption), size and position settings, tri-pane design, Contents, Index, Favorites, Search, and Glossary tabs, and extra navigation buttons including browse sequences

Features such as print, copy, annotate, bookmark definitions, font size and colors are automatically included in main window

Features such as print, hide, show, refresh, search highlight on/off are automatically included in HTML Help viewer

Other display features such as fonts, colors, and language are based on default browser settings (Internet Explorer)

WinHelp popups are created by specifying an action type or by creating a new topic and entering text directly into text box

Popup window sizes to fit content and closes with a single mouse click

WinHelp popups display WinHelp topics and support RTF formatting, images, jumps, and all other topic content

Popup windows use the same color as the window from which they are launched (default colors can be specified)

Popup links to HTML topics are based on JavaScript and Dynamic HTML

HTML topics are displayed in popup windows that size to fit content and close with a single mouse click

Hyperlink popups support formatting, images, links, and all other HTML topic content

 

Text popups (based on JavaScript) are created by entering text directly into popup window

Popup window sizes to fit content and closes with a single mouse click

Supported formatting includes text color, size, font, background color, vertical and horizontal margins