Help format feature comparison

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