Copyright: Copyright ® 1992 Windows OnLine.
Citation: All rights reserved, Copyright ® 1992 Windows OnLine.


Title_page
WINONLINE™ REVIEW (WOLR) is published electronically on the 1st and 15th of every month and distributed throughout the world by many well-known on-line services. WINONLINE™ REVIEW contains articles and columns by WOL's staff writers and Freelance writers. Subject matter includes all aspects of MS Windows and its associated applications and utilities. Also covered are News, Communications and other Graphical User Interface (GUI) subjects. Reviews and First Looks, etc., are limited in scope to allow the REVIEW to be both diverse and maintain a manageable file size.

If you are interested in writing for the WINONLINE™ REVIEW this Writer's Guide will explain how to write and submit your articles for publication. Within this guide we try to answer many of the questions you may have about writing for Windows Online™ WINONLINE™ REVIEW.


Table_Of_Contents

How can I write for the REVIEW?

WINDOWS ONLINE™ , the publisher of the REVIEW realizes that there are many experienced Windows users who wish to share their knowledge by writing articles for our magazine. We wish to encourage these writers. This guide was created for those who wish to know more about how they can publish their articles in the REVIEW.

Join us and help create the next issue of our exciting new on-line magazine.

Table Of Contents

   What's New? (Freelance Writers - this is for you)

   Introduction to the REVIEW

  Writers Style Guide & Primer

  How To Build A Help File

  Example Of A Finished Column

  Submitting Your Article

  If you have further questions

Thank you for taking the time to review this guide. It was created to assist authors in understanding what is required by Windows Online™  the REVIEW. If after reading this document you have further questions, call WINDOWS ONLINE™ by modem, (510) 736-8343. When logged in, "J"oin conference 4 (command "J 4") and ask your questions in the form of a message, addressed to our Editor, Rich Young.

WOL Writers Guide was co-written by Rich Young and Randy Wong

Layout, design and illustrations by Randy Wong.


ABOUT THIS GUIDE
What's new in this version 1.1 of the Writers Guide?

This Guide is provided to allow a writer a fast and simple way to be published in the WINONLINE™ REVIEW. It is for the use of both our Staff Writers as well as any Freelance Writers who wish their work to appear in our innovative electronic magazine. We want you to have fun and be rewarded when you write for the REVIEW!

In this latest revision of our Writers Guide, it is now even easier for Freelance Writers to get their work published!

Freelance Writers - this is for you

We have, quite honestly, gotten a poor response from potential Freelance Writers who may have considered writing for us. We feel the reason for this is that we required all writers to prepare a HELP file for their articles. While once one understands how to do it, preparing a HELP file is quite easy. I feel that we have raised writers concerns with this requirement. We know that our magazine will not be, all it can be, until we can attract YOU to write for us. We then will offer a more complete electronic magazine that we can all enjoy even more.

We therefore have removed the requirement that Freelance Writers prepare a help file. Those interested in writing an article for the Review "once-in-a-while" need only concern themselves with writing their review or article. They may use their own word processor and submit the formatted text along with the BMP graphics to be used in the article. Couldn't be simpler! The following topics in this Guide may be of interest to a Freelance Writer:

WHAT'S NEW

INTRODUCTION

WRITERS STYLE GUIDE & PRIMER

SUBMITTING YOUR ARTICLE

IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS

It is also a good idea to study the "Example Of A Finished Column", as well as past issues to get a good feeling of what your work should look like. Be sure to follow our style requirements and submission procedures as stated in those sections, and you will soon find your work published in our exciting new magazine!

Staff Writers

The major changes for Staff Writers to notice are several formatting changes such as BODY TEXT is now New Times Roman 12 pt. and paragraph spacing requiring a hard return after each paragraph. Other than normal single spacing, no other type of line spacing or paragraph spacing is suggested. Staff Writers should use this Guide as a reference for all their articles, and should follow the style guidelines closely.

Many Thanks!

We appreciate your taking the time to explore this Writers Guide and learning what it takes to write for the WINONLINE™ REVIEW. We hope to see your work published in our popular, growing magazine. Remember, we are here to address your questions and concerns about writing for us, so feel free to call WINDOWS ONLINE™ by modem, (510) 736-8343. When logged in, "J"oin conference 4 (command "J 4") and ask your questions in the form of a message, addressed to our Editor, Rich Young.


Introduction

About Windows OnLine™

WINDOWS ONLINE™ is an on-line (modem) service dedicated to supporting Windows users and Windows network professionals. WOL has 13 phone lines, (all equipped with US Robotics high speed dual standard modems), operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. WOL is growing rapidly with thousands of callers directly using the service from around the world. WOL advertises monthly in national publications as well as several computer newspapers.

About the REVIEW

WOL publishes an electronic bi-monthly magazine. This unique creation is actually a Windows HELP file. All Windows users can view it with its hypertext, built-in search, and pop-up color graphics. Our writers provide feature articles and reviews about new Windows products and developments. For example, our WINDOWS TIPS feature helps our readers better optimize their computer system. Our reviews and opinions of Windows shareware and commercial hardware and software products are valued by our readers to assist them with their purchasing decisions.

The REVIEW is distributed around the world to major on-line services, (on the 1st and 15th of each month), and it is estimated that each issue is read by 50,000 on-line and network users. (It is reported that there are over 40,000 BBS's in the USA alone as of 1992)

About Writers Submissions

   All submissions must be your original work and written completely by you, the writer.

   All submissions must be copyrightable by you.

   You agree that the REVIEW has the exclusive right to edit and publish your submitted article as it sees fit and can hold it before publication for a period of 60 days. After submitting your article and before it has been published you may request the REVIEW to release your article, if unpublished, so that you may offer it for publication elsewhere.

   When your article is published by the REVIEW you are selling all future rights to that individual work to the REVIEW for a fee. We are purchasing all rights to print and/or reprint, or to allow others to reprint your article, in whole or part, for use in the REVIEW or any other publication in any form, such as, Television, On-line Services, Print Media, Disk Based Services, etc.,.

The REVIEW is interested in printing many types of articles.

Examples of subjects of interest:

   Computer News

   New Product News and First Looks

   Windows Tips and Tricks

   Windows Applications Tips and Tricks

   Windows Shareware Reviews and Comparisons

   Commercial Windows Software Reviews and Comparisons

   Desktop Publishing

   Windows Graphics

   Windows Programming and New Programming Tools

   Windows Sound

   Windows CD-ROM

   Windows Multimedia

   Windows Financial and Database

   Networking with Windows and Networking Utilities

   Windows Drivers and Developments

   Windows Font Technology

   Windows Hardware (hardware Windows users buy)

   Communications

   The Lighter Side (enjoyable, cute, funny) Graphics (16 color limitation)

There are many interesting subjects not mentioned above.

 We are very open to new ideas -- try us!

Staff Writers

WOL has staff writers that are responsible for submitting at least one column per issue, generated around a few specific areas of interest, i.e. New Product News, Computer Industry News, Windows Software Reviews, Windows Tips and Tricks, Shareware Reviews, etc.,.

Requirements for Staff Writers

   Staff Writers must meet a deadline of midnight on each 5th and 20th, for publication the following 1st and 15th. Due to time constraints, the deadline is firm.

   All staff writers must submit their work in the proper Windows Help format, and must rigidly follow the current Style Guide. Submissions not following these guidelines will not be considered for publication.

   Articles written by staff members will have priority over those submitted by Freelance writers.

   WOL Staff Members are expected to maintain a professional image in both their writing and other communications that involves WOL and the REVIEW.

   Staff writers who are unable to meet the requirements of STAFF will lose staff privileges and will become a Freelance writer.

   The Publisher and Editor makes the final determination on all writers' submissions as to if and when articles will be published. Some articles may not be published if considered unacceptable.

As a Staff Writer

   Staff writers will be paid $10. per published article. Articles submitted but not published will not be paid. All writers will be expected to send a written bill, including published dates and issue number of your articles. Submit to WINDOWS ONLINE™ for payment anytime after publication. Checks will be issued on the first of the next month following publication.

Send bills to:

   Our staff may utilize their position as a staff writer for the REVIEW to request review copies from manufactures of software and hardware as material for their articles. Most vendors are pleased to get the free exposure to our readership, and you, the writer, can enjoy evaluating the latest "hot" Windows products.

   It is necessary to let the other staff members know of your intention to approach a particular vendor, so that there are no conflicts among the other staff members or vendors.

   Please keep in mind that if you commit to a review of a product, be sure to do a quality piece in a timely manner. A vendor's image of WOL depends on your professional writings and timeliness.

   Staff writers may obtain Press Passes to Computer Shows of their choice so that they may report on the Computer Industry in our magazine.

   WOL staff members enjoy full FREE access to WINDOWS ONLINE™, and to our private staff conference (Conference 3) where we discuss vital matters pertaining to the REVIEW and communicate with the staff and management of WOL. Staff will also upload their work to this private conference. With the increased security level given to staff members, they are able to conduct their on-line activities with plenty of access time and are allowed unlimited downloading privileges.

It is thrilling to have thousands of Windows users read your work and see your name on your weekly by-line. What a great way to "make a name" for yourself in our industry!

There are a limited number of staff positions available, we do, from time to time, have openings for dedicated writers. We encourage you to apply for a staff position with us. Even with a full staff of writers, there is opportunity to write for WOL as a Freelance writer!

Freelance Writers

WOL will also accept articles from anyone who wishes to be published in the REVIEW on a more casual basis. We often have space available that you can fill with your interesting reviews and other items not covered by our staff. We encourage you to upload your work for consideration in the REVIEW.

Guidelines

   All writers must submit their work in either Word For Windows 2.0 format (.DOC or .RTF) or Windows Help format, and must rigidly follow the current Style Guide. All submitted work must be complete so that we can assemble your documents and graphics into the HELP format. Articles that do not meet our standards will not be published.

   Writers are expected to maintain a professional image in both their writing and other communications that involves WOL and the REVIEW.

   The Publisher or Editor will make the final determination on all writers' submissions as to if and when articles will be published. Some articles may not be published if considered unacceptable.

   Acceptable articles will be published on a space available basis. Articles submitted by our staff writers will have priority over those submitted by Freelance writers.

   Acceptable articles may be kept for a future issue and used on a space available basis.

As a Freelance Writer

   All Freelance writers who have an article published, will be paid $10. per article. Articles submitted but not published will not be paid. All writers will be expected to send a written bill, including published dates and issue number of your articles. Submit to WINDOWS ONLINE™ for payment anytime after publication. Checks will be issued on the first of the next month following publication.

Send bills to:

   Freelance writers are to use conference 4 (Writers Conference) to upload their articles, and communicate with other writers, and the staff of WOL.

   Freelance writers may not represent themselves as writers for WOL or the REVIEW to any software or hardware vendors for any purpose. The reason is that we can not control the actions of Freelance writers or for that matter if their writings or reviews will ever be submitted or published.

   Freelance writers will not have additional access or privileges on WINDOWS ONLINE™. WOL does offer a FREE access level.

   A distinct advantage to being a Freelance writer over a staff writer is that Freelance writers do not have deadlines nor do they have a continued obligation to submit an article, and they do not have to submit a Help project. They can write as they choose. They can submit articles when and if they wish. We encourage Freelance writers to submit as many articles as they like, and if they wish, to apply for a Staff Writing position.

Still interested?

Now that you know who we are and what we are looking for, and if you are still interested in writing for us, then continue on and read our Style Guide. Also, learn about some of the tools we use To Build A Help File and our Submission Procedures.

We hope that you will enjoy writing for the REVIEW and find it a rewarding experience. There is a unique opportunity here for you to become published. The response from our readership has been phenomenal, our magazine's popularity grows with each issue. We hope you will join us, and become part of Windows Online™, REVIEW as it continues to grow more popular.


Style_Guide

The WOL Writers Style Guide & Primer

Introduction

We assume that you have read one or more issues of the REVIEW. There is a consistent look and style to the publication. It is the writer's responsibility to maintain the consistency of the issue through the proper formatting of their submissions. There is a lot of room for creative and artistic ideas in your article, but there are elements that must remain the same with all writer's submissions. This style guide will detail the elements that we use in every issue of the REVIEW.

Tools of the Trade

As you know, we publish the REVIEW as a Windows Help file. The tools a writer uses must have the capability to let us simply compile articles into the Help format. The Help engine requires a document in the Microsoft .RTF format to be made into the Help file. You therefore must use a Windows word processor that will save a document in the .RTF format. Most writers for WOL use Word for Windows, which is ideal for this purpose. You can use any Windows word processor you like, as long as it will save to an .RTF file, and uses the Windows 3.1 True Type font technology.

Staff writers will also need to have a Help compiler from Microsoft. We will provide a tutorial for building the Help file from scratch later on, but keep in mind that there are commercial products such as RoboHelp (Blue Sky Software ) and Doc-To Help (WexTech Systems Inc. ) that interact with Word for Windows to make a help project fast and simple. We can also provide shareware utilities that may be able to make the necessary files as well. We have not used these shareware tools ourselves, so we do not know exactly how useful they will be, if at all. If you are able to use these products successfully, please let us know.

Required Software:

   Windows 3.1

   A Windows word processor that saves to an .RTF file and supports Windows 3.1 True Type font technology. Though Freelance writers do not have to build a Help file, we do need a document that can seamlessly be imported into Word for Windows 2.0.

   True Type fonts installed (Arial and Times New Roman)

   Staff Writers will need a Help compiler such as the Microsoft Help Compiler v3.1, available on CompuServe  in the Microsoft SDK forum, or available from Microsoft directly, if you don't have one of their application development products.

   A graphics program for the 16 color .BMP files you will use to illustrate your articles. Paintbrush and WinGif are two we recommend.

Text Styles

Main Title

Font:  Times New Roman (True Type)

Size:  22 or 24pt

Style:  Bold

Color:  Blue

Underline:  None

Super/subscript: None

Spacing:  Normal

Paragraph Alignment:  Centered

Paragraph Spacing:  Before 0 Lines/After 0 Lines

Note:  The Main Title can be replaced by a graphic BMP file. The text in the Main Title should still reflect the proportion to the rest of your article. The Main Title is your main attraction, and will have the largest text size.

The main title is for the name of your article. The title should be brief but informative. Your title is what we make the Table of Contents entry out of.

Sub-Title

Font:  Times New Roman (True Type)

Size:  18pt

Style:  Bold

Color:  Red

Underline:  None

Super/subscript: None

Spacing:  Normal

Paragraph Alignment:  Centered

Paragraph Spacing:  Before 0 Lines/After 0 Lines

Note:  The Sub Title can be replaced by a graphic BMP file. The text in the Sub Title should still reflect the proportion to the rest of your article. The Sub Title should be the second largest text.

The sub-title is to identify the most major sections of your article. It is often used when you are reviewing two different applications or two different subject matters. Check past issues of the REVIEW or the Weekly for implementations of sub-titles.

Sub-Heading

Font:  Times New Roman or Arial (True Type)

Size:  Any size the writer chooses

Style:  Normal or Bold

Color:  Any readable color on a white background

Underline:  None

Super/subscript: None

Spacing:  Normal

Paragraph Alignment:  Left

Paragraph Spacing:  Before 0 Lines/After 0 Lines

Note:  The Sub Heading can be replaced by a graphic BMP file. The text in the Sub Heading should still reflect the proportion to the rest of your article. The Sub Heading should not be bigger than the Main Title or Sub Title text.

Use sub-headings to identify your article's section headings. They are most often used to title a group of paragraphs that fall under a similar theme. This keeps your article organized and sectioned off for easier readability. Check past issues of the REVIEW or the Weekly to see how sub-headings are implemented.

Body Text

Font:  Times New Roman (True Type)

Size:  12pt

Style:  Normal (Bold may be used to emphasize certain words)

Color:  Black

Underline:  None

Super/subscript: None

Spacing:  Normal

First Line Indent:  .5 inch

Paragraph Alignment:  Left

Paragraph Spacing:  Before 0 Lines/After 0 Lines

Line Spacing:  Single Spaced

Misc. Rules:  No underlining, avoid Italics, use bold emphasis sparingly, use one space after a comma, and one space after a period.

Body text is what you will be using the most, as the bulk of your article is the body! We have found that Times New Roman (True Type) is a very readable font and it ships with Windows 3.1, so everyone should have it. Be aware that some symbols will not show up in the final product, for example the symbols used by WinWord's bullet lists do not appear, so we have to substitute bullets that do show up. Separate paragraphs with a hard return only. Also bear in mind that when a user re-sizes a Help window, the text adjusts to fit in the window, tabs may not function properly. This is why it is necessary to compile your own article and experiments with the Help file to insure that it will always look good. Check past issues of the REVIEW or the Weekly for proper implementations of body text.

Graphics Styles

Graphics add a special flair to your articles, and it makes your work fun and interesting to read. We want the REVIEW to be enjoyed by as many Windows users as possible, so we must make sure that all can display the Help file, no matter what type of video setup that they use. For this reason, we use 16 color graphics (or less), of reasonable size and must fit on a 640x480 screen.

Our writers use icons and small BMP graphics often, and when doing a software review we find it informative to use a screen shot of the product and it's features. All writers head their articles with a "logo" graphic of some kind, and end them with a "signature " graphic that tells the world who you are. Choose your graphics wisely and please make sure they look professional. Check past issues of the REVIEW or the Weekly to get a good idea of how graphics are used.

Graphics Tools

These are a few of the graphics utilities some of our writers use:

   Paintbrush ships with Windows and is always quite useful.

   Snagit (shareware) is quite helpful with screen captures.

   WinGif (shareware) is useful for image altering, trimming and sizing.

   PaintShop Pro (shareware) or Snap30 (freeware) among many others for screen captures.

   Adobe TypeAlign or Bitstream MakeUp (both commercial) for cool text effects in your graphics.

A copy of the above shareware tools can be downloaded from WOL using the file name WOLTOOL.ZIP. This file will be located in both the FREE download directory #49 and the Freelance Writers Conference (conference #4) file directory on WINDOWS ONLINE™. Using optional tools such as these may save a great deal of time in putting your article together.

Also remember that you merely have to hit your Print Screen key to capture the current screen to the Clipboard. From there you just paste it into Paintbrush (or whatever graphics program you use) to trim and size it into usable shape. In addition, use the ALT-Print Screen key combination to capture just the active window to the Clipboard.

There are too many useful graphics programs out there, both shareware and commercial to list here, you can use any that suit you as long as they do the job for you. Remember, this is not an art contest, so keep it simple, yet interesting. With a good implementation of graphics, your work will really stand out.

Graphics Guidelines

   Use graphics that are 16 colors or less.

   Keep the size of your graphics reasonable.

   Make sure all graphics are well trimmed and cropped.

   Submit only .BMP graphics.

   Make sure graphics are positioned correctly within your article. Freelance writers that are submitting a plain document (.DOC or .RTF file) should insert the name of each of your submitted bitmaps at the point where you intend the bitmap to appear in the published version.

   Remember that alignment and position of graphics effect your text!

   Staff Writers must check your compiled Help file to make sure graphics are displaying correctly.

   Use logo and signature graphics in all your articles so readers can quickly identify your work.

Again, take a look at what other writers have done and get a feel for what is acceptable. Be creative and have fun. Remember that old saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words"... therefore, use good graphics and your article will communicate better.

Here are examples of properly done graphics -- and the other kind:

In Conclusion

This style guide is provided for your reference. It is complete and simple. Please use it. We must have consistency in all our writers' articles. Use this guide while you learn about how to prepare your articles.

It takes a lot of time to gather all the writers' articles and assemble them into an issue. We will not have the time to correct mistakes or heavily edit your work. We therefore stress the importance of you thoroughly checking your own work for mistakes of any kind. If you do not follow our style guidelines we will not publish your work. Be your own editor and proof read your work before submitting it. Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. Make your work as readable and as friendly as possible!

Unanswered Questions

If, for some reason this guide does not answer all your questions, you can post a message in Conference 4 on WINDOWS ONLINE™. Address your message to our Editor, Rich Young. He will be glad to answer all of your questions. Please do not address these questions to the Sysop.


Creating_Help
How To Build A Help File

(only staff writers need to prepare a HELP file)

What are Help Files

The Microsoft Windows Help system is the way Windows software provides on-line help information about an application. We have utilized this same method of providing information for the REVIEW in magazine format. We use the same Help system with the REVIEW and with the file you are reading now.

A Help file is a group of topics linked by way of hypertext. The group of topics are text files or magazine articles, that have special formatting codes embedded. Using only a few tools, you will find creating a help file quite easy. You do not need to be a programmer to create a Help file. In this tutorial, we will review what to do to make your article into an acceptable Help file.

What Makes Up Your Help File?

To understand the Help file concept, a brief overview is in order. When making your Help file you should follow the steps outlined below.

st	Create a new directory on your hard drive for this new project. Place all files within this directory. Include any saved text files that you will use from your word processor. Put everything you will use for this project in the same (new) directory. Also, make sure you have the HELP COMPILER and .ERR file included with the Compiler in a directory specified in the PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. More on the Compiler in a minute

nd	Using a Word processor that will save to an .RTF file, create your body text (your article) and headings as you would in any word processing document. Follow our Style Guide. Save your text as an .RTF file in that new directory described above.

rd	Use the graphic tools mentioned elsewhere in this guide and create your 16 color .BMP graphic files. Be sure you trim your graphic files properly.

th	Reload your saved .RTF text file and place your Bitmap By Reference where you will wish the graphics to appear in your article.

What is a bitmap by reference?

You are simply placing the name of your bitmap (your created .BMP graphic) in a location of your choice so that the graphic can be inserted in its proper place when your help file is created.

BITMAP BY REFERENCE CHOICES ARE:

   bmc filename.bmp (BitMap Character) places the bitmap (your selected graphic) at the same location on the line as the cursor. In other words, the bitmap is treated as a character. You may place this reference anywhere in your text (for example: 3 spaces in from the left or Centered or 3 tabs from the left, etc.,).

   bml filename.bmp (BitMap Left) places the bitmap at the left margin.

   bmr filename.bmp (BitMap Right) places the bitmap at the right margin.

th	At this point we now enter the control codes for jumps and definitions. Assign context strings, titles, sequence numbers, keywords and build tags.

th	Create the help project file (.HPJ file) and add your .BMP file names to it.

th	Compile the project (run the Compiler using your project file (.HPJ file) as your configuration file). You now have a compiled HELP (.HLP) file.

What is a compiler and where do I get one?

Microsoft Corporation has made it's v3.1 Help Compiler available on CompuServe in the Microsoft SDK forum, as well as with some of their application development products. You may also be able to purchase the compiler alone directly from Microsoft. The Compiler is a DOS.EXE program that uses the above mentioned .HPJ file as its configuration file. The .HPJ file tells the Compiler how you wish to make your HELP file. What text to use, what and where you wish to place the .BMP's, what pop-ups and jumps you wish to have, etc.,. You therefore need to compile your project for it to become your HELP file (the result of a compile is the .HLP file).

th	Test the help system. Perform debugging and make style and formatting changes, then re-test.

To Recap the steps:

   Create a new directory

   Write and save your article in .RTF format

   Create your graphics

   Place your bitmap references in your .RTF file

   Enter your control codes in your .RTF file

   Create your Project file (.HPJ)

   Compile your help file using your .HPJ file

   Debug and compile again

If keying in text, adding some graphics, and attaching a few codes, sounds too easy to build a Help file, try it for yourself. It is that easy. The quickest way to experience building a Help file is to play with the sample files we include. Take a Test Drive today.

We will next explain all the above points in much greater detail. There are many shortcuts that will allow you to reuse your formatting and codes from your previous project. You will be able to simply cut and paste the codes from your first article (project) to all the others you do in the future. You will reuse the project file with only slight modifications. This process is very easy to do on a week to week basis. We are also providing a Sample Project File and a W4W Template. This will make that first project also quite easy. Remember to copy and paste as often as you can, this routine will save you a great deal of time now and in the future.

Details on creating a Help File

There are several steps in building a Help file. We will be discussing writing the text, adding your graphics, and adding codes that will help create your final help file. We will also take a peek at a Project file, only to the extent of what we need.

Creating Your Text

To write your text files, you will need a Rich Text Format (.RTF) editor that also supports Windows 3.1 True Type fonts. The editor must enable you to create footnotes, hidden text, underline, strikethrough, and double underlining. These attributes are used for the help control codes. There are several .RTF word processors available, that will do the job. We use and recommend Microsoft Word for Windows. Whatever editor you choose make sure that your article is saved in .RTF format.

Following the guidelines from the Style Guide section, create the text for your article.

   Set the font type and size to Times New Roman (True Type) and 12 point size.

   Set the margin to start at 1/16 inch from the left side.

   Indent the first line of every paragraph to .5 inch.

   Paragraph marks at the end of each paragraph.

   Separate each heading, sub heading, and paragraph with a blank line.

   Save your file as (article name) .RTF

Adding The Graphics:

Save each graphic picture as a 16 color .BMP file. You will be able to reference this bitmap by the filename, where you want it to appear in your article.

Using reference by bitmap can reduce your overall file size if your graphic appears several times throughout your article. The compiler will only need to include a given bitmap once even though it is used several times in your article.

To insert a bitmap reference in your article, you must place your cursor to where you want the graphic to appear. You will add a command to place the .BMP file at that location. There are three commands that are used to place the graphic picture.

   bmc filename.bmp (BitMap Character) places the bitmap at the same location on the line as the cursor, or in other words, the bitmap is treated as a character. Meaning that you may place this reference anywhere in your text ( for example: 3 spaces in from the left or Centered or 3 tabs from the left, etc.,).

   bml filename.bmp (BitMap Left) places the bitmap at the left margin.

   bmr filename.bmp (BitMap Right) places the bitmap at the right margin.

You can take screen captures of an application and use them as examples or illustrations. The facilities are included with Microsoft Windows. The Print Screen key will capture the whole screen to the clipboard. While pressing the Alt+Print Screen key will capture only the active window on the screen. With the picture in clipboard, you could paste the image to PaintBrush or WinGif. WinGif will allow you to trim and clip off a portion of the image. PaintBrush will also allow you work with the .BMP image.

   Have the application active on your screen, that you desire to capture.

   Press the Print Screen key or Alt+Print Screen key to capture the image to the clipboard.

   Start WinGif and paste the image. If you want to clip part of the image off, hold down the mouse button and drag the pointer, to section off the desire section. Go to the Edit dropdown menu, and select Trim. From this point, WinGif will resize to the image you have sectioned off. You can now copy the image for PaintBrush to edit, or save the file as a 16 color .BMP file.

   Start PaintBrush and paste the image or draw an image. You must save the image as a 16 color .BMP file.

   Please save the 16 color .BMP files with your name plus the characters A-Z or 0-9. This will help simplify what belongs to whom. For example: Randy52A.BMP, Randy52B.BMP, etc.,.

   Please keep the images under the standard VGA screen size 640x480, or possibly not larger than 640x350 for the EGA users.

Entering The Required Codes:

To start the main topic, or your article, you must include special codes at the beginning of the file. They are footnote codes, that the Windows Help compiler will understand. These are required and must be included, just to define your article. This is what makes your file a help file type.

The Help system uses control codes for different purposes.

Control Code	Name	Purpose

Asterisk (*) footnote	Build tag	Defines a tag that specifies topics the compiler conditionally builds into the system. They must appear first in a topic.

Dollar sign ($) footnote	Title	Defines the title of a topic. These appear in a list box when you use the Search feature.

Pound sign (#) footnote	Context string	Defines a context string that uniquely identifies a topic. Because hypertext relies on links provided by context strings, topics without context strings can only be accessed using keywords or browse sequences.

Plus sign (+) footnote	Browse sequence	Defines a sequence that determines the order in which the user can browse through topics.

Letter "K" footnote	Keyword	Defines a keyword the user uses to search for a topic.

Double-Underlined text	Jump	Indicates the text the user can choose to jump to another topic.

Underlined text	Definition	Specifies a "popup" box to be displayed when the user clicks the mouse button or ENTER key.

Hidden Text	Jump	Specifies the context string for the topic that will be displayed when the user selects the text that immediately precedes it.

   You will have a build tag indicator. The symbol for the build tag is an Asterisk (*). Build tag is a footnote at the very beginning of each topic. The other footnotes are placed in any order after the build tag.

   Each topic must have a unique context string. The symbol for the Context string is a Pound Sign (#). Context string is a footnote code. The context string is a unique identifier for a topic, and the Help system relies on this name for its hypertext linking.

   Each topic will have a title. The symbol for the Title is a Dollar Sign ($). Title is a footnote code. These names will appear in the listbox when a user uses the Search feature in the Help system.

   You could add a list of browse, search words. The letter "K" is the symbol for Keyword. The Keyword is a footnote code. You define your search keywords, which permits a user to search for certain words.

   The main Topic will have a browse sequence number. All writers will use the number 100 as their browse sequence number. The symbol for the Browse Sequence number is a Plus Sign (+). The Browse sequence lets you control the order in which the user can browse.

How To Create Pop-Ups

You might wish to build one or more popup images or text to compliment your paragraph. The codes are the same but now we will be using the underline, double-underline, and hidden text functions. What we will be using will be underlined word, words, phases, or graphics as the link to popups. The double-underline is for jumping to another main topic, since we are looking at one main topic, or article, we will not concern ourselves with jumping. The Hidden Text, is interpreted as the topic that we are linking to, which will popup when the ENTER key or mouse is clicked on the item. You may want to either pick a graphic or word(s) to popup.

   Go to the bottom of the article, add a hard page break. Topics, such as Popups and Jumps, are separated by hard page breaks. I normally would start the jumps and popup topics at the end of the document. By doing this, I keep my main ideas together up at the top of the document.

   Place the cursor at the beginning of your new page.

   Create a new Build Tag for this new popup Topic.

   Create a new Context String for this popup Topic.

   Create and give the popup Topic a Title .

   You can now add text, or a graphic on this new page.

   Once you have created this Topic, end this page with a hard Page Break.

   Now go back into the main body of your article, place the cursor where you want to link to your popup Topic. If you are pointing to a graphic or a word(s) that is already there, highlight the text (text block it or select it).

   Select the underline feature and type the word. If you have selected the words already, change the attribute to underline. The word(s) are now underlined.

   The word is now underlined, next we will key in the hidden text. Turn on the hidden function, the cursor is right after the underline word. Now key in the Context String (#) name assigned to the popup Topic. Turn off the hidden function after you have keyed in the name. Now you have a long word, one underlined and one hidden, all running together. You should now have a word or graphic with a link to a popup Topic.

Building The Project File:

The Help project file controls how the Help Compiler builds your topic file. The project file ends in a .HPJ extension. The project file can contain up to seven sections that performs different functions. In our case, we are only concerned with 4 sections. They are the Options, BuildTags, Files, and Bitmaps sections.

Note:  We highly recommend using the enclosed example HPJ file (SAMPLE.HPJ) as a template for your future project files. As there are only a couple of items that need to change, you will save much time and effort by re-editing and using the supplied sample!

   You can use any text editor to build or edit your Help project file.

   You must save the file as unformatted text.

   Key in your article name.RTF in the Files section..

   You must include all the .BMP filenames in the Bitmaps Section.

   You must save the file with the same name as your article name and have an extension of .HPJ.

   Staff Writers will use the name WOLR + the issue number they are writing for. The names are placed in the Options, Build= Section and the BuildTags Section (see sample).

Compiling The Help Project

You can now compile your project into a Windows HELP file to see how your article will display to our readers. The three pieces that are needed, are your RTF file, the HPJ file, and all your BMP files. We will assume that you have the Help compiler executable (HC.EXE or HCP.EXE, etc.,) in the new directory we described above. To compile, simply enter (from the DOS prompt or build a Windows PIF file) the command using the Syntax:

HC [Help project filename.hpj]

For example:

D:\WINWORD\COLUMN\49>HC RICH49B.HPJ

Now you have a .HLP file to view. Simply double-click on the .HLP file in your file manager to launch it. If after you have compiled your project, and you make any changes to your project, you must re-compile to see your changes in the .HLP file. This gives you the opportunity to fine tune your article and make sure it looks as you intended.

Other Tools

This is a simplified explanation of how to build a Help file. There are other ways to build a Help file. With new tools appearing on the scene, building a Help file is getting easier. Keep in mind that it is your responsibility to learn any of these tools yourself. We will not be able to do any tech support on any commercial or shareware tools.

Commercial Tools:

   RoboHelp from Blue Sky Software is an add-on tool for Microsoft Word for Windows.

   Doc-To-Help from WexTech Systems Inc. is another tool for creating Help files.

Shareware Tools:

   QDHELP from Phil Allen, will allow a user to convert an ASCII text file to a Rich Text Format (.RTF) file. There is a problem with handling TrueType Fonts, it is not supported.

   WinHelp+ from Stedy Software & Systems, will let you write your file in text format and then compiles that file into a RTF format file for the Help Compiler.

   Xantippe from IRIS Media Systems is a multi-functional tool. It can be used as a hypertext/hypergraphics authoring environment for the creation of hypermedia documents such as Windows Help Files.

Conclusion

The information provided in this section was intended to give you several choices as to how you might prepare your article for publication in the REVIEW. It does not teach you how to build a complete Help System. It does show you, how to get your articles into an acceptable format for the REVIEW. If you have difficulty or wish further instructions, please write a message and address it to Rich Young or Randy Wong in Conference #4 on WINDOWS ONLINE™, (510) 736-8343 modem.


Review_Example
Normally, I create my documents in a word processing application. It has all the functions I would ever need. On this one special occasion, I needed features that a Desktop Publisher application can deliver, that is a lengthy complex report. In search of a Desktop Publisher that would integrate almost all the functions to complete my project, I came across FrameMaker. FrameMaker 3.0 for Windows is a full-featured WYSIWYG document publisher. FrameMaker is the first Desktop Publisher that integrated word processing, graphic designs, book building, and hypertext links into a single application.

Since most Desktop Publishing applications lack a good word processing engine, FrameMaker did a perfect job in this area. Instead of doing the majority of the text outside the application, FrameMaker lets you build the main document without leaving the program. FrameMaker supports the Windows Multiple Document Interface (MDI) and the Modeless Dialogue features. MDI lets you work with multiple documents at one time. The Modeless Dialogue feature enables you to see changes as they are made, without opening and closing dialog boxes. Using Microsoft's Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) standard, you can easily update imported objects with a click of the mouse. Special features of FrameMaker include conditional text, intelligent tables, grouping and controlling the flow of text, and hypertext links.

   Preparing several versions of a document, each one with a few minor differences, you can write the versions in one FrameMaker document. A conditional document is a document with more than one version within. The part of the document that you tag as common to each version is called conditional text.

   For the scientific minds, there is the math equation feature. The Equations Palette, a very sophisticated dialog box, contains commands for building equations. The Equations Palette displays all the symbols, operators, functions, and other math elements. The equations that you built, will be part of your document and can be modified and evaluated.

   All of FrameMaker's drawing and selection tools are located on the Tools Palette, a ToolBar. The floating Tools Palette contains selecting pens, fill patterns, line width, line style, and color assignments.

FrameMaker supports various file formats. Several of the file formats, I have not seen supported by any other word processor or Desktop Publisher. Several document formats supported are Ami Professional, DBASE, DCA/RFT, DisplayWrite 5, Excel, Legacy, Lotus 123, MIF, MML, Microsoft Word for DOS, MS Word for Windows, MultiMate, PFS:WRITE, PFS:First Choice, Professional Write, Q&A, WordPerfect, WordStar, and XyWrite. Several drawing and object file formats supported are DIB, DRAW, EPS, GIF, MacPaint, METAfILE, Micrografx Charisma, Designer, PCX, SunRF, TIFF, WMF, XWD, plus several other formats. FrameMaker include several clip art files for users who wants quick graphics.

FrameMaker for Windows was introduced in January by Frame Technology. It has met with an unprecedented acceptance. Two major distributors of the product, Ingram Micro and Merisel, Inc., have increased their initial orders. FrameMaker for Windows is targeted at professionals in corporations, governments and education, who creates, edits, and distributes publication quality documents across multiple authors or multiple platforms. The type of documents ranges from lengthy complex reports and technical documentation to short everyday communications. Frame Technology is a leading supplier of document publishing software for creating business and technical documents. Versions of its software are available for multiple user interfaces and more than 25 different computers. Frame Technology markets its product through distributors, VARs, OEMs, and directly to users.

Documents can be distributed and viewed by other FrameMaker users, or view by FrameReader. FrameReader is an economical product for on-line viewing and distribution of FrameMaker documents across multiplatform networks. It provides hypertext navigation, on-demand printing, and the ability to view text and graphics as in the original document. FrameReader is a companion product and is sold separately.

From what I can see, FrameMaker 3.0 closes the gap between word processing and desktop publishing. FrameMaker has all the features of a high powered word processing application, plus a few more goodies. Desktop Publishing features ranks on the level of Pagemaker and Ventura Publisher. One thing missing was a grammar checker. More clip art files would have kept me from searching or drawing some. Since FrameMaker was ported from the UNIX and Macintosh platforms, files created from any of the platforms are compatible with each other. According to the manual, all features from the UNIX and Macintosh versions were incorporated into the Windows version. With this in mind, a user could use the product on different platforms and still be familiar with the commands. A Windows NT version will be announced when Windows NT arrives.

   MS/PC DOS 3.1 and higher.

   Microsoft Windows 3.0 (or higher), running in 386 Enhanced Mode.

   Any MS Window based computer, recommend a 386 processor or greater.

   A high density 3.5" or a high density 5.25" floppy disk drive.

   10 Megs of disk space is required to install. (recommends 20 MB of disk space)

   Minimum 4 MB of RAM, 8 MB recommended.

   VGA or high resolution monitor and graphic card setup. (640x480 resolution is the minimum, 1024x768 is recommended)

   A mouse, digitizer, or any Windows pointing device.

   A PostScript or PCL printer supported by Windows.

   Adobe Type Manager (included in the package).

For more information, please contact:

   Frame Technology Corp.

1010 Rincon Circle

San Jose, CA 95131

1-408-433-3311

Fax: 1-408-433-1928

List Price is $795.00


Submit_Articles

Submitting An Article To WOL

If you have prepared your article in the proper file format and followed the style guide, you are ready to upload your work. As with all uploaded files, we only accept .ZIP files. Give your .zip file a unique name such as JIM-REV.ZIP. Staff writers are to upload their articles to conference 3 (at the main board enter J 3 and then U to upload) and Freelance writers are to upload their work to conference 4 (at the main board enter J 4 and then U to upload).

Contents Of A Submitted .Zip File

   Your WinWord 2.0 RTF or DOC file.

   For Staff Writers: The generated .HPJ file.

   All .BMP files used in your article.

   A text file with your name and any comments you may have about your article.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you give your article (.zip file) a clear description when you upload it.

Be sure to give your .BMP files unique descriptive names, such as JIM-1.BMP, so that we do not get two files with the same name.

Below is an example of the contents of a typical zip file uploaded by a Staff writer. We will use the fictitious writer Jim in this example.

JIM-REV.RTF

JIM-REV.HPJ

JIM-1.BMP

JIM-2.BMP

JIM-3.BMP

JIM-4.BMP

JIM-LOGO.BMP

JIM-SIG.BMP

JIMCMT.TXT

As you can see, Jim has included all the files needed to publish his work. In his article he used a total of 6 .BMP files and included them in his zip file. His logo and signature graphics (JIM-LOGO.BMP and JIM-SIG.BMP) are the ones he always uses, so all he has to do is copy the same files to the current project directory he uses for this week. Less work for Jim. Freelance Writers will omit the .HPJ file, unless they are submitting their work in our Help format.

Unanswered Questions

If this guide does not answer all your questions, you can post a message in Conference 4 on WINDOWS ONLINE™. Address your message to our Editor, Rich Young. He will be glad to answer all of your questions. Please do not address these questions to the Sysop... Thank you.


More_Help

Questions On This Writers Guide?

We hope you have found this Writers Guide complete, but if you have any questions or need clarification on any of the subjects covered here, then please address your concerns to the staff members below.

Style Guide & Submission Procedures Questions

For questions or concerns relating to the Style Guide or Submitting An Article sections, you can post a message in Conference 4 on WINDOWS ONLINE™ . Address your message to our Editor, Rich Young. He will be glad to answer all of your questions. Simply call WINDOWS ONLINE™ by modem, (510) 736-8343. Join Conference 4 (command "J 4") and ask your questions in the form of a message. Staff Writers should post questions in Conference 3.

Questions On Building A Help File?

If you have questions on the Building A Help File that were not covered, you can post a message in Conference 4 on WINDOWS ONLINE™. Address your message to Rich Young or Randy Wong, and they will give you all the help you need. Just call WINDOWS ONLINE™ by modem, (510) 736-8343. Join Conference 4 (command "J 4") and ask your questions in the form of a message. Staff Writers should post questions in Conference 3.

Please remember that Conference 4 is provided for writers to communicate with staff and other writers. We urge you to make good use of Conference 4 and join the gang! We are here to assist you in getting your work published in our exciting and innovative publication, the REVIEW


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PopUp_Equate


PopUp_Tools


PopUp_Help


PopUp_ClipArt


PopUp_Logo1


PopUp_Logo2


PopUp_Randy_Face


WOL_About1

The REVIEW  is a product of,

WINDOWS ONLINE™ (WOL), an on-line service dedicated to the Microsoft Windows™ operating environment and to other GUI subjects. WOL prides itself on having the most complete and up-to-date library of Windows shareware in the world. WOL currently has over 8,000 Windows 3.x programs and files for downloading. Consider membership in the Worlds premiere Windows on-line service.

Call Windows OnLine today!

(510) 736-8343 Modem

Frank J. Mahaney

Publisher

(510) 736-4376 Voice/Fax

WINDOWS ONLINE™

Box 1614

Danville, CA 94526-6614

© Copyright 1992, Windows Online


Main_Title_Example


Sub_Title_Example


Sub_Headings_Example


Body_Text_Example


Example_Title


Example_Review_Body


Example_Sub_Title


Example_Sub_Heading


Example_Signature


RoboHelp_Logo


WexTech_Logo

 WexTech Systems Inc.

      310 Madison Ave

           Suite 905

    New York, NY 10017

        (212) 949-9595


BMP_Bad

This is a poorly trimmed graphic from a screen capture. Don't do this!


BMP_Good

This is the same graphic properly trimmed and looking good. Do this!


BMP_Example

These are some examples of other graphics used, please note the logo and signature graphics.


Word_Processors
These are several word processors that we know support the new RTF format.

  Microsoft Word For Windows, version 2.0 and higher.

  Microsoft Word for the Macintoch, version 3.0 or 4.0.

  Lotus Ami Pro 2.0 and higher.

  Other word processors that support RTF format.


Build_Screen


Build_Text_Example


Build_Code_Example


Build_Graphic_Example


Build_Graphic_Commands


Build_Project_Sample


Build_Popup_Exam1


Build_PopUp_Exam2


Build_Compiler_PIF1


Build_Compiler_PIF2


Build_Project_Steps

   Steps in building a Windows Help file.

   Writing the text for the Help topics.

   Creating your graphics

   Entering the required control codes.

   Create a project (.HPJ) file.

   Test and debug the Help files.


Build_Tag_Proc

        Adding a Build Tag to your Topic.

   Have the cursor at the beginning of the topic, make sure it is before all text and footnotes.

   Insert the asterisk (*) as the footnote reference mark. Please note and check that it is the superscript asterisk (*) in the footnotes.

   Add the build tag name as the footnote. Please make sure you have a space between the asterisk (*) and the build tag name.


Build_Context_Proc

          Adding a Context String to your Topic.

   Place the cursor next to the Build Tag symbol, to the right.

   Insert the pound sign (#) as the footnote reference mark.

   Enter the Context String as the footnote. Please make sure you have space between the pound sign (#) and the Context String name. You cannot have spaces between words. Valid characters are A-Z, 0-9, the period (.), and the underscore (_).


Build_Title_Proc

          Adding a Title to your Topic.

   Place the cursor anywhere to the right of the Build Tag.

   Insert the dollar sign ($) as the footnote reference mark. Please note and check that it is the superscript dollar sign ($) in the footnotes.

   Type in the Title as the footnote. Please make sure you have a space between the dollar sign ($) and the Title name. Titles can be up to 128 characters in length, anything more will be truncated.


Build_Keyword_Proc

          Adding Keywords to your Topic.

   Place the cursor anywhere to the right of the Build Tag.

   Insert the uppercase "K" as the footnote mark. Please note and check that it is the superscript "K" in the footnotes.

   Key in the keyword, or keywords, as the footnote. Please make sure you have a space between the "K" and the Keyword names. If you have more than one search word, separate them with a semi-colon. Also ensure there is a semi-colon as the last character on the line in the footnote.


Build_Browse_Proc

          Adding a Browse Sequence to your Topic.

   Place the cursor anywhere to the right of the Build Tag.

   Insert the plus sign (+) as the footnote mark. Please note and check that it is the superscript plus sign (+) in the footnotes.

   Type in the group name, a colon, and the browse order number. Please make sure you have a space between the plus sign (+) and the Browse Sequence command.


Build_Project_Sections

    There are seven sections in the Help Project File.

   [Config]	Help Compiler Configuration options.

   [Files]	Topic files to be included in the build.

   [BuildTags]	Specifies build tags that are included in your topic.

   [Options]	Level of error, topics to be excluded, directories.

   [Alias]	Assigns one or more context strings to the same topic.

   [Map]	Associates context strings with context numbers.

   [Bitmaps]	Bitmaps to be included in the build.


Randy_Wong_Signature


Rich_Young_Signature


Derek_Westfall_Signature


About WinGif


About Paintshop Pro


About Type Align


About BitStream MakeUp


About Snap30


About_SnagIt


About_PaintBrush


CompuServe_Compilier
The help compiler is registered software from Microsoft Corp. but has been made freely available to members of the CompuServe Microsoft SDK forum. Sorry, but we can not distribute the compiler on WOL.


FootNote_Definition
Footnotes are notes or information placed at the bottom of a page. They are usually page numbers, dates, Author names, section headings, etc.