Hi,
When writing help files and documentation for your apps, what are peoples preferences?

Richard
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Richard Mace wrote

When writing help files and documentation for your apps, what are peoples preferences?

Simply for authoring help or the actual help viewer and help format shipped with the application?

Authoring:
I use EditPad Pro. I has brilliant template, file navigation and customisable syntax highlighter.

Help viewer and format:
Docview help file viewer with the INF help file format.

Even though Docview was written primarily for fpGUI based projects, it works equally well as a eBook type application or integration with LCL based applications.

Attached is a fully working LCL application with DocView+INF incorporated. For the full discussion, see the Lazarus Forum post.

http://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,27864.msg173887.html#msg173887

Docview screenshots:
http://fpgui.sourceforge.net/screenshots_apps.shtml

Docview pre-compiled binaries:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/fpgui/files/fpGUI/1.4/

Regards,
- Graeme -

Graeme Geldenhuys wrote

Authoring: I use EditPad Pro. I has brilliant template, file navigation and customisable syntax highlighter.

I use that because IPF (the source used to make binary INF help files) is plain text with a very short and simple syntax.

For HLP or CHM I can recommend a product called HelpScribble [http://www.helpscribble.com/]. The interface looks complex, but it is in fact very easy to use.

Regards,
- Graeme -

I used to be a fan of CHM because of the single file concept, but now use HTML help (http://wiki.freepascal.org/Add_Help_to_Your_Application) because it very easy to pimp up plus every machine (no need to worry about the OS platform) has a web browser installed - no need to install viewers. Plus, if I ever wanted my applications to point at help hosted on my server(s), it would not take much since it's already in the required format! I use "Help & Manual" and generate both help and PDF docs in one go from the same source - am extremely happy with it. I haven't tried any other competing products, though... Kai

Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2015 21:34:36 +0100
From:
To:
Subject: [Lazarus] Help for your applications

Hi,

When writing help files and documentation for your apps, what are peoples preferences? Richard

I am using HelpNDoc. Creating a help file is as easy as writing a text with Word. The authors are offering a version which is free for non-commercial use, it only adds a small banner to the file. The professional version is sometimes available with a large discount at BitsDuJour

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Richard Mace wrote

Hi, When writing help files and documentation for your apps, what are peoples preferences?

I like PasDoc, because it works like JavaDoc:

http://pasdoc.sipsolutions.net/

Marc Santhoff wrote

I like PasDoc, because it works like JavaDoc:

The original author wasn't clear about exactly what he wants. It might be worth adding that PasDoc (like fpdoc) is meant for API Class (source code) documentation , not for general application help.

Regards,
- Graeme -

When writing help files and documentation for your apps, what are peoples

preferences?

I use LaTeX / Markdown for my every non-code writings, including help files & documentation.