Help Systems Development

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Help Systems Development
Prepared by Bogdan Matu - Toni Parent - Paul
Poirier
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Introduction

• Objective
• To offer the user information on the interface
  and on specific product functions.
• Outcome
• The ability for the user to easily perform
  functions with the assistance of system help
  documentation

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Help Files

• Goal
• To get the user back on track and working quickly
• Prerequisites
• Know the audience your help files are intended
  for
• End Users Primary operators are they technical
  or general users

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Help System Components

• Content
• Information in the Help System
• Format and Presentation
• How the information is displayed to the user
• Navigation
• The way that the help system is navigated
• Access Methods
• Indexing and Content groupings

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Content

• Content Should be looked at in the following
  manor
• Task-Oriented
• Highly structured
• Information Types
• Content Types (task, concept, reference)
• User Models (beginner, intermediate, advanced)
• Minimalist Principles
• Give the user only information need to perform
  the task they want to achieve
• Design the steps for the end user who has the
  lowest level of knowledge
• Try to keep the information as short as possible
  without being

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Format and Presentation

• Simplicity and Consistency
• This allows the user to become familiar with one
  item and becomes able to relate the flow and
  operation of the help file to other pieces of the
  content
• Try to associate the help system with the look
  and feel of other Help Systems Standard
  Layouts, Familiar Options, Multi-Window Interface
• Fonts
• Using Bold or Underline to attract the readers
  eye to what they are looking for in the help
  article
• Limit the fonts that are used to not overwhelm
  the user
• Error Message Section
• I quick reference to list Error codes and what
  they do

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Navigation

• Make it simple and quick to find information
• Limit the number of topics so that the user
  doesnt have to filter through a large number of
  containers Try to minimize to 2 levels
• Add headings so that the user can find their
  location in a page if scrolling is needed

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Access Methods

• Contents and indexes
• Use these to assist the user in accessing the
  information that they want to retrieve
• Make topics very specific for easy browsing
• Application Access
• F1 Key links to the Help File
• Menus, Buttons, Toolbar links to the Help Files

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Help Development Software

• Help Scribble
• This is a program that will cost you
  approximately 110 but is very simple and user
  friendly to build help files
• This piece of software will be demonstrated
• HTML Help Workshop
• Freeware Application for building Help files
• NDoc
• Freeware Application used to produce Technical
  Help documentation on classes and other elements
  of the system