Help+Manual 6: Authoring Tool Now Publishes Manuals and Documentation Directly to iPad and
iPhone
Documentation is always needed, whether you’re producing a software application,
a gadget or a web portal. The authoring tool Help & Manual makes it easy to
produce interactive help systems and user manuals. Version 6 adds some new
output formats, including manuals that can be viewed directly on the Apple iPad
and iPhone.
Help+Manual is an XML-based help authoring tool online help and user manuals.
You enter your text and Help & Manual converts it into ready-to-use Windows help
files, web-based interactive help, PDF manuals, eBooks and more. All the complex
conversion work is handled by the program - no specialized skills are required.
The user interface is similar to that of a word processor, making it easy to
learn. Your texts are organized in topics, which are displayed in the same table
of contents that the user will see later.
Help+Manual 6: Direct export for iPad and iPhone
Version 6 of the program has just been released and includes the following major
new features and improvements:
- Optimized user interface: The user interface has been optimized and to make
it even more visual and intuitive. The re-introduced File menu includes a list
of recently opened projects. Tabbed editing has been added, making it possible
to edit multiple topics at the same time in tabs - for example when you are
working on related topics.
- New WebHelp 2.0: The WebHelp output has been completely overhauled and now
uses a modern HTML5-based layout with integrated support for the jQuery
JavaScript framework. The new format provides more flexibility and makes it
easer to integrate WebHelp in existing websites. The jQuery framework enables
attractive animated effects for things like the table of contents tree and
expanding sections, and also makes it easy for authors to add their own advanced
functions. Search engine visibility is improved with headings exported as
standard h1 - h6 tags and support for auto-generate XML sitemap files.
- New output formats for programmers: In addition to importing Visual Studio
source code documentation directly from Microsoft Sandcastle projects,
Help+Manual 6 can also generate help files in both the new Visual Studio 2010
and the older Visual Studio 2008 formats.
- Batch output: There is a new editor for batch output, which makes it
possible to define tasks consisting of multiple output jobs. You then just
select the task to output the same project to multiple formats in a single quick
process.
- Improved editor: The updated editor comes with a wealth of smaller and
larger improvements. For example, it can now flow text around images and videos
and generate QR codes, and it supports a new light box mode for images and
videos. The new spelling checker now supports OpenOffice.org spelling and
hyphenation dictionaries, providing enhanced support for a wide range of
languages.
- iPad and iPhone support: Mobile devices are becoming increasingly more
important, and Help+Manual 6 now comes with direct support for the Apple iPad
and iPhone. You can now publish your projects directly as ePUB eBooks optimized
for the iBooks reader on these Apple devices. The ePUB eBooks are also
compatible with many other eBook readers.
"People are now using stationary computers less and less," says EC Software CEO
Alexander Halser. "We're living in a mobile world, and that’s why Help & Manual
6 now produces documentation that can be displayed directly on the iPad and
iPhone."
Download a free trial of Help+Manual 6
Single-user licenses for Help+Manual 6 for Windows XP/SP3, Vista and 7 (32 or 64
bit) cost $499, the server version is available for $1295. Help+Manual can be
purchased directly from EC Software’s online shop. A 30-day free trial version
(66MB) is available on the company’s website.
Main website: http://www.helpandmanual.com/
News: http://www.helpandmanual.com/products_hm_new.html
Downloads: http://www.helpandmanual.com/downloads.html
About EC Software:
EC Software has been producing authoring tools for technical writers since 1997.
Help+Manual is now one of the leading help authoring tools worldwide.
Contact Information
EC Software GmbH, Franz-Josef-Straße 23, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Press contact: Alexander Halser
Tel.: +43 662 254098
Fax: +43 662 254098-1
Email: alexander.halser@ec-software.com
Web: http://www.ec-software.com/