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Here are a few frequently asked questions that may come in handy during documentation projects. They're gathered from eDocHelp's years of experience helping businesses produce electronic documentation.

• What is an eDoc?
• What is Online Help?
• What are the advantages to outsourcing CAD/CAM documentation?
• How can we make our online help context sensitive?
• What should we consider when capturing screen images for help topic illustrations?
• What should a programmer consider when writing tech notes for their functions?

What is an eDoc?

eDoc is short for eDocument or eDocumentation. It is a term used to describe an electronic document that conveys information in a compact cross-platform format that can be easily transported or shared across a company LAN, intranet or over the web.

An eDoc contains an integrated table of contents, index, a full text search engine and an optional integrated glossary. An eDoc can be output to a variety of industry standard formats including FlashHelp, WebHelp, HTML Help, WinHelp, JavaHelp, and Oracle Help, plus pure HTML and printed documentation (MSWord and PDF formats).

What is Online Help?

Online Help is like a very large eDoc that is specific to a software-based application. In its compiled form (*.chm), Online Help adheres to the latest Microsoft HTML Help standard. Online Help is usually integrated with the software and displayed from the Help menu. An Online Help project can also be formatted for viewing over the web.

Like an eDoc, Online Help also contains an integrated table of contents, index, a full text search engine and an optional integrated glossary. They can also be output to a variety of industry standard (see eDoc above for a list of formats).

What are the advantages to outsourcing CAD/CAM documentation?

There are many. Here are just a few:

• Documentation firms can usually pick up on emerging trends quickly since they are involved in many documentation projects. They also make it their business to understand and become proficient with the tools of the trade.
  
• A documentation firm that understands CAD/CAM technology can relieve a developer of the burden of in-house technical writers.
  
• Developers want to concentrate more of developing their applications and tend to put less priority on documentation. A good documentation firm can provide release-ready documentation without getting in the way and overburdening programmers.

How can we make our online help context sensitive?

Index files are used to cross reference each function name with the help topic file name. When context sensitive help is requested, the function is first "looked up" in the index file and then the appropriate help topic is displayed.

What should we consider when capturing screen images for help topic illustrations?

There are many things to consider but here are a few:

• Change the programs' background color to white.
  
• Zoom out on the subject of the illustration until it approximates the actual size of the illustration as it will appear in the help topic.
  
• Consider colors that will contrast when viewed online in color and in black and white print. If a printed document is created, the same graphic will be used.
  
• Capture the image but leave annotations to the illustrator. You can hand sketch annotations on a copy of the image if desired.
  
• Let the illustrator determine if image reduction is necessary. Image reduction can actually make the graphic file size much larger because the number of colors used in the image is increased.

What should a programmer consider when writing tech notes for their functions?

The following tips can be applied to any writing task but are especially helpful for programmers who must write tech notes for technical writers who develop their help topics.

• Try to use proper English grammar. There will be less chance of misinterpretation that can cause delays and add time and costs to the documentation project.
  
• Try to speak directly to the user (i.e., first person instead of third person). For example, you would write "Select this option to ..." instead of "The user should select this option to ..." This occurs often and adds editorial time to the project.
  
• Try to be as concise as possible. Online help topics by definition should provide quick answers to user questions. This will help you determine the most important concepts that you want the user to understand.
  
• Be sure to include "your" definitions for each command option, sub-option and dialogue option.
  
• Try to include support material such as sketches and example files that would help explain how the function should be used. There is always a right and a wrong way to use a function.

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