The Help systems > HTML Help vs. WebHelp

The available help systems calls

Help at the internet

The PdxEditor internet help calls always will be of the WebHelp type calling HTML files organized on in a circumscript collection of information.

Local help calls

These may use either the Windows specific compressed single file HTML Help (file with .chm extension) or calling plain HTML files organized in a WebHelp structure.

HTML Help

The HTML Help is a strict Windows help system format launched in 1997 and not further developed since 2001, but in spite being aged still for most Windows applications the basic help system format for offline application help.

Since Windows update July 2005 the HTML Help system has been blocked running on network drives (file opens but all content pages blank) and this issue has newer been corrected. The HTML Help format thus is only for strictly local use running from the local hard-drive (C:, D:, etc.) or from removable media as e.g. USB sticks.

For strict local use it is a handy format enabling the user to go offline.

WebHelp

As noted above WebHelp is actually plain HTML files but spiced with JavaScripts for dynamic table of contents folding/unfolding, and further usually designed with both index and a search feature and the whole collection gathered in the same folder as a circumscript electronic book.

Though intended for internet location WebHelp may also be placed locally, but due to the usual levels of security restrictions browsers will disable the JavaScripts and thus the folding/unfolding of the table of contents beings displayed with all folders unfolded. This way, still fully functional when used locally, just not the intended dynamic elegance.

For strict local use running from local hard-drive (C:, D:, etc.) full dynamic functionality can be achieved if manually enabling JavaScripts/JScripts in your browser, but if the browser is used online too, this browser setting is hard to recommend.

WebHelp will work under any common operating and file system supporting standard browsers (Windows, Apple OSX, Linux, Unix, etc.)