Char James-Tanny
San Diego Meeting of the STC
April 2006
Char James-Tanny, president of JTF Associates, provided us with the
latest updates regarding the new Vista Help that will premiere when
the next version of the Microsoft Windows® operating system is released.
The next version of Windows, called Vista, will replace Windows XP,
and is scheduled to be released in January, 2007.
Windows Vista will have the first radical change to Windows help since
WinHelp was released in 1990. As a result, WinHelp will no longer work
in Windows Vista. Char explained that the .CHM and WebHelp versions
of HTML will still be supported in Vista. If you are still using WinHelp
files, you need to convert them to HTML help. However, you will no longer
be able to run CHM files from a network drive. That is, you must copy
them to a local drive first.
The old WinHelp .HLP files will be replaced with the new Vista .H1S
file. This will be the only compiled file that you need to run Vista
help.
Features of Vista Help
Vista features a dramatically new Help environment that uses a structured
authoring model built around an XML format called Microsoft AML (Assistance
Markup Language).
Help Pane
One of the main features of Vista is the Help (viewer) pane that all
applications share, and will appear on the right side of the screen.
This provides a consistent entry point for users to all help information.
The Help pane will support a full text search.
Help and Support Center
Users can access a Help and Support Center through an Internet connection
from the Windows Start menu. You can link this menu option directly
to the support center Web site for your particular business.
Single Help Database
Another feature of Vista help is that the help files for all applications
will be located in the same database.
New Topic Types
Vista Help will support the following topic types:
- Glossary task: Defines terms
- Quick Answer: Provides a very brief explanation
- Shortcut: Contains a direct link to another application
- Sign Post: Prompts a list of related topics to appear after providing
a search request
- FAQ and troubleshoot topics: Contains expandable and collapsible
paragraphs
- Procedural: Shows "How To" topics
- Guided help: Replaces the old Wizards used in WinHelp
Benefits of Vista Help
Char explained that Vista Help will offer the following significant
benefits:
- Solutions to customer problems
- Well designed user interface (UI)
- Assistance available directly in the UI
- Automatic knowledge of a user's system
Weaknesses of Vista Help
One of the major drawbacks of Vista Help is that it will not support
a table of contents, index, or browsing. Searching will be the only
way to locate a list of available help topics.
Incorporating Vista Help Into Our Future Help Files
Char explained that the existing help authoring tools (HATS) will support
the new Vista Help when it is available. Thus, you should be able to
use your current help authoring tools to create the new help in the
same way that you have been using them to create WinHelp and HTML help
files.
Disclaimer: Because Windows Vista and Vista Help are in beta, some
information in this article is subject to change. You can access Char
James-Tanny's Web site, www.helpstuff.com,
for the latest information on Vista Help.
David Coddon: Journalism for Technical Communicators
Come join us in a workshop with David Coddon, Editor of the San Diego
Union Tribune's "Night&Day" section. David will share
his thoughts about feature writing and how a technical communicator's
skills transfer to writing for publication.
When: Saturday, June 10, 10am—2pm, with lunch provided in between
Where: The clubhouse at the Evening Creek Apartments,
located at:
10918 Evening Creek Drive, #149; San Diego, CA 92128 (858) 391-0350
(http://www.eveningcreek.info)
Price: Members, $25; non-members, $30. Light morning snacks and drinks
will be offered along with a full lunch.
For any questions about this workshop, please contact our Vice President
of Professional Development, Deborah Gill-Hesselgrave, at the e-mail
listed on the chapter's website. To register, visit www.stc-sd.org.
David Coddon, A.B. in Journalism, University of Southern California,
is assistant arts editor for the San Diego Union-Tribune. He oversees
the newspaper's Friday entertainment section, "Currents Weekend,"
and is also associate editor of the U-T's calendar magazine, "Night&Day."
A journalist since 1979, he has written features, real estate stories,
travel articles and columns for the Union-Tribune, as well as for other
local and national publications. He has been an instructor of nonfiction
writing at UCSD Extension for 10 years, a faculty member of the Southern
California Writers Conference, and a regular guest on KPBS-FM's ''These
Days'' program.
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