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Online help
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<h2 id="benefits">Benefits</h2> <p>Online help has largely replaced live customer support. Before its availability, support could only be given through printed <a href="/facts/Documentation/IdrD9jer">documentation</a>, <a href="/facts/Postal_mail/qF0nv7t9">postal mail</a>, <a href="/facts/Telephone/P7uEgWQX">telephone</a>, or in person </p> <h2 id="platforms">Platforms</h2> <p class="note">See also: Category:Online help</p> <p>Online help is created using <a href="/facts/Help_authoring_tool/7GJIypE7">help authoring tools</a> or <a href="/facts/Component_content_management_system/Y1XA033S">component content management systems</a>. It is delivered in a wide variety of formats, some <a href="/facts/Proprietary_software/9zcskxYL">proprietary</a> and some <a href="/facts/Open_standard/RGvhGQVI">open-standard</a>, including: </p> <ul><li>Hypertext Markup Language (<a href="/facts/HTML/sSc3fT78">HTML</a>), which includes <a href="/facts/HTML_Help/IXu6orUI">HTML Help</a>, HTML-based Help, <a href="/facts/JavaHelp/XL2o1nXM">JavaHelp</a>, and Oracle Help</li> <li>Adobe <a href="/facts/Portable_Document_Format/C9Mn1vYL">Portable Document Format</a> (PDF)</li></ul> <p>Online help is also provided via <a href="/facts/Live_chat/nBXwlmgz">live chat</a> systems, one step removed from <a href="/facts/Telephone_call/4wUtUXpY">telephone calls</a>. This allows the support person to conduct several support sessions simultaneously, thus reducing costs. The transcript is immediately available and can be sent to the customer after the session ends. </p> <h3>Microsoft help platforms</h3> <p><a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> develops the platforms for delivering help systems in the <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Microsoft Windows</a> operating system. </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Platform name</th><th>Description</th><th>Public?</th></tr><tr><td>Microsoft QuickHelp</td><td>Ralph Walden joined <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> in 1987 and wrote an online help system for <a href="/facts/MS-DOS/fVrrz1uN">MS-DOS</a> and <a href="/facts/OS/2/uVBl6ItP">OS/2</a> called QuickHelp. Ralph was also primarily responsible for it.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Help_(command)/AouoTNSR">help</a> command</td><td></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Microsoft_WinHelp/qf1N6Sxu">Microsoft WinHelp</a> (.hlp)</td><td>Based on the <a href="/facts/Rich_Text_Format/hsVH9Jot">Rich Text Format</a>, this was the industry standard for <a href="/facts/Windows_3.1x/zYnWyaC6">Windows 3.1</a> and <a href="/facts/Windows_95/1E1L93qC">Windows 95</a>/<a href="/facts/Windows_NT/EtccWvxQ">NT</a>. The popular Windows Help program (WinHlp32.exe) was included with all <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Windows</a> operating systems from <a href="/facts/Windows_3.0/AmCtP94m">Windows 3.0</a> until the <a href="/facts/Windows_XP/IozrkAYS">Windows XP</a> operating system. However, the help engine is not included with <a href="/facts/Windows_Vista/IASEUCTB">Windows Vista</a> and is only available as a download.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a></td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/HTML_Help/IXu6orUI">HTML Help</a> (.chm)</td><td>Also known as <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Compiled_HTML_Help/IXu6orUI">Microsoft Compiled HTML Help</a> (the name of its <a href="/facts/File_format/qrXbwJaH">file format</a>), it based on <a href="/facts/HTML/sSc3fT78">HTML</a> and other data such as images and <a href="/facts/JavaScript/XhhIIEsl">JavaScript</a>. HTML Help 1.0 was released in 1997. In 2006, it was available from Microsoft as HTML Help 1.4.</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows_Help_and_Support_Center/DevuU3KN">Help and Support Center</a></td><td>A deprecated online help system in <a href="/facts/Windows_Me/fjENFRNa">Windows Me</a> and <a href="/facts/Windows_XP/IozrkAYS">Windows XP</a>.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Microsoft_Help_2/65kqKm6n">Microsoft Help 2</a> (.hxs)</td><td>In 2001, Microsoft announced plans for a wide release of HTML Help 2.0, which came to be called <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Help_2/65kqKm6n">Microsoft Help 2</a>. This platform was developed by Microsoft and shipped in 2002 as the help format for <a href="/facts/Visual_Studio_.NET/omNe6Lej">Visual Studio .NET</a>, <a href="/facts/MSDN_library/q2EJdDx2">MSDN Library</a> and <a href="/facts/Microsoft_TechNet/XdFdowL4">TechNet</a> products, but Microsoft announced it had cancelled plans to make the format publicly available. Microsoft Help 2 was also used as the help format in <a href="/facts/Office_2007/6qxbuGxr">Office 2007</a>.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/AP_Help_1.0/9QPuqMHu">AP Help 1.0</a> (.h1s)</td><td>Assistance Platform Help is based on <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Assistance_Markup_Language/9QPuqMHu">Microsoft Assistance Markup Language</a>. It is the format developed for and shipped with <a href="/facts/Windows_Vista/IASEUCTB">Windows Vista</a>. It will not be made publicly available as an authoring platform for other software vendors, but will be used by Microsoft, <a href="/facts/Original_equipment_manufacturer/hmUhIWaS">OEMs</a>, and certain corporate users. Version 2.0 of the Assistance Platform Help engine is currently on hold.</td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td>No</td></tr></tbody></table> <h3>Other platforms</h3> <table><tbody><tr><th>Platform name</th><th>Description</th></tr><tr><td>HelpConsole (local HTML files or web-based)</td><td><a href="/facts/Internet_Information_Services/nqmfJr3T">IIS</a> based system, with a standard navigation tree and content area, viewable with a <a href="/facts/Web_browser/2pfyymLs">web browser</a>, supports <a href="/facts/JavaScript/XhhIIEsl">JS</a>, <a href="/facts/Adobe_Flash/3Lrp9JuH">Flash</a> (now deprecated), <a href="/facts/HTML5/HBAxEAr6">HTML5</a>, Embedded presentations etc., Since it is <a href="/facts/Web-based/BLkF3BIN">web-based</a>, it works on <a href="/facts/Windows/bwhAhuSL">Windows</a>, <a href="/facts/Linux/9FvCKSTq">Linux</a>, and virtually all other <a href="/facts/Operating_System/8XTuvMh2">Operating Systems</a>.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/AmigaGuide/h4H3Vz4R">AmigaGuide</a> (.guide)</td><td>The official hypertext document file format designed for the <a href="/facts/Amiga/60B3A9of">Amiga</a>.</td></tr><tr><td>Apple Help (.HELP)</td><td><a href="/facts/Apple_Computer/oTJYta3k">Apple Computer</a>'s proprietary help platform for the <a href="/facts/Mac_OS_8.5/Vde5S5hl">Mac OS 8.5</a>+ operating system.</td></tr><tr><td>WebHelp</td><td>A <a href="/facts/Cross-platform_software/16zqdvNR">cross-platform</a>, uncompiled Help system that can run on most <a href="/facts/Web_browser/2pfyymLs">browsers</a> and on most platforms, including Windows, <a href="/facts/Unix/0pNL2seI">UNIX</a>, Linux, Sun <a href="/facts/Solaris_(operating_system)/KPfT98EJ">Solaris</a>, and <a href="/facts/Macintosh/8GhnXTK0">Macintosh</a>.</td></tr><tr><td>Sun <a href="/facts/JavaHelp/XL2o1nXM">JavaHelp</a> (.js)</td><td>A <a href="/facts/Cross-platform_software/16zqdvNR">platform-independent</a> help system written in <a href="/facts/Java_(programming_language)/9ScgFyAL">Java programming language</a> by <a href="/facts/Sun_Microsystems/VJ9EzEFd">Sun Microsystems</a>. It runs on almost any platform and browser that supports the <a href="/facts/Java_Runtime_Environment/l9Nzrsun">Java Runtime Environment</a> (JRE).</td></tr><tr><td>Oracle Help</td><td>Two formats developed by the <a href="/facts/Oracle_Corporation/0z14FygH">Oracle Corporation</a>: Oracle Help for Java (OHJ) and Oracle Help for Web (OHW).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></td></tr><tr><td>Help library (.HLB)</td><td>The official help file format designed for <a href="/facts/OpenVMS/rAnHAgpD">VMS</a>.</td></tr><tr><td>DotNetHelp</td><td>A new Windows help format, as an alternative to the .chm format, that also supports <a href="/facts/.NET_Framework/J6QDAUhP">.NET applications</a>.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Texinfo/kPbPabMy">Texinfo</a> (also known as the "info")</td><td>The official documentation system for the <a href="/facts/GNU_project/mjc8AwM6">GNU project</a>.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Manual_page_(Unix)/S2yYjy0J">Unix man pages</a></td><td>The standard method used to document (among others) <a href="/facts/Unix/0pNL2seI">Unix</a> programs and <a href="/facts/Unix_shell/2G4T2Fb9">shell</a> commands, <a href="/facts/System_call/NW44AFJr">System</a> and <a href="/facts/System_call/NW44AFJr">Library</a> calls, <a href="/facts/Device_file/t8ISnXft">Special files</a> and <a href="/facts/File_format/qrXbwJaH">File formats</a> .</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Information_Presentation_Facility/mxt2BlVE">Information Presentation Facility</a> (IPF)</td><td>The help system used by <a href="/facts/IBM/QszA7nwd">IBM</a>'s <a href="/facts/OS/2/uVBl6ItP">OS/2</a> system, <a href="/facts/EComStation/0FseHaUf">eComStation</a> and <a href="/facts/ArcaOS/KGRJJQTA">ArcaOS</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> It is the official documentation system for the <a href="/facts/FpGUI/8Yn8HFP4">fpGUI Toolkit</a> project.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Norton_Guides/6UCkjrU3">Norton Guides</a></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Balloon_help/KEbGbD8u">Balloon help</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Darwin_Information_Typing_Architecture/mTDd9vU3">Darwin Information Typing Architecture</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/DocBook/8RpRVfCQ">DocBook</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Frequently_Asked_Questions/Br4xFnej">Frequently Asked Questions</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_help_authoring_tools/NHMwPqBj">List of help authoring tools</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Microsoft_Assistance_Markup_Language/9QPuqMHu">Microsoft Assistance Markup Language</a> (Microsoft AML)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Help_desk/cjLlydTJ">Help desk</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>The Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Developer Story: Application Compatibility Cookbook § "Help Engine Support" <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Aa480152#appcomp_topic30" target="_blank">http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Aa480152#appcomp_topic30</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Oracle Help Technologies <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/index-083946.html" target="_blank">http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/index-083946.html</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"ArcaOS IPF Help". Retrieved 2020-08-24. <a href="https://www.arcanoae.com/arcaos/arcaos-screenshots/captured004/" target="_blank">https://www.arcanoae.com/arcaos/arcaos-screenshots/captured004/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>