Another .net question

[mdevito]

I've searched on this here, still not quite sure of what I need. Will soon be creating help files for a large app running/created in .net 2.0. I know little about this platform. Was assuming I'd need to generate some type of compiled, single-file help output (.chm?) That's only a guess. My client has not yet purchased Robohelp. So, my only requirement upfront is that I do want to do context-sensitive help at the screen level. Have done this before in RH using topic, screen IDs.

Which version of RoboHelp should I tell my client to buy? Will help output be multiple files (such as with webhelp projects) or one compiled files? How do I work with developers to communicate which topics to display coming from which screens?

Thanks.

[RoboColum_n_]

First things first, unless you need to use a language that uses unicode characters (e.g. Japanese) the only version you can buy is RoboHelp X6. It will provide CSH.

As far as your help output is concerned, the question I need to ask is how your developers will be delivering the help. If on a website/intranet then probably webhelp is required. If it is to be stored locally on each end user's PC then CHM is what you require.

For the CSH what works for me is the produce the map file containing the CSH mapid and provide this to the developers. They will then code the call from the application to display the correct help topic. Some people let the developers produce the CSH map file which they import into RH but you have less control then.

[mdevito]

Colum:

Thank you. That is most helpful. The application I am documenting apparenly resides on my hardrive, rather than being delivered via intranet/internet pages. It is .net 2.0 based. So that sounds like non-webhelp output, as in .chm. I was not sure about this. Had never worked with a .net app before, and read several posts here that I wasn't sure applied.

I too have had good luck sending the developers a list of topic ids, matched to source screens, for CSH. As long as they have some unique way to identify each screen, it should work.

Thanks again.

Michael D.