Editing Online help

{{Short description|Information delivered via computer software}}
{{Self reference|For Wikipedia's help pages, see [[Help:Contents]] and [[Wikipedia:Help desk]].}}{{Multiple issues|{{More citations needed|date=November 2011}}
{{Advert|date=April 2014}}}}
'''Online help''' is topic-oriented, procedural or reference information delivered through [[computer software]]. It is a form of [[user assistance]]. The purpose of most online help is to assist in using a [[software application]], [[web application]] or [[operating system]]. However, it can also present information on a broad range of subjects. Online help linked to the application's state (what the user is doing) is called [[Context-sensitive help]].

==Benefits==
Online help has largely replaced live customer support.{{CN|date=May 2025}} Before its availability, support could only be given through printed [[documentation]], [[postal mail]], [[telephone]], or in person

==Platforms==
{{See also category|Online help}}
Online help is created using [[help authoring tool]]s or [[component content management system]]s. It is delivered in a wide variety of formats, some [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] and some [[open standard|open-standard]], including:
*Hypertext Markup Language ([[HTML]]), which includes [[HTML Help]], HTML-based Help, [[JavaHelp]], and Oracle Help
*Adobe [[Portable Document Format]] (PDF)

Online help is also provided via [[live chat]] systems, one step removed from [[Telephone call|telephone calls]]. This allows the support person to conduct several support sessions simultaneously, thus reducing costs. The transcript is immediately available and can be sent to the customer after the session ends.

===Microsoft help platforms===
[[Microsoft]] develops the platforms for delivering help systems in the [[Microsoft Windows]] operating system.

{| class="wikitable"
! Platform name !! Description
|-
| [[Microsoft QuickHelp]]
| [[Ralph Walden]] joined [[Microsoft]] in 1987 and wrote an online help system for [[MS-DOS]] and [[OS/2]] called QuickHelp. Ralph was also primarily responsible for it. 
|-
| <code>[[help (command)|help]]</code> command
|
|-
| [[Microsoft WinHelp]] (.hlp)
| Based on the [[Rich Text Format]], this was the industry standard for [[Windows 3.1x|Windows 3.1]] and [[Windows 95]]/[[Windows NT|NT]]. The popular Windows Help program (WinHlp32.exe) was included with all [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] operating systems from [[Windows 3.0]] until the [[Windows XP]] operating system. However, the help engine is not included with [[Windows Vista]] and is only available as a download.<ref>[http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Aa480152#appcomp_topic30 The Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Developer Story: Application Compatibility Cookbook] § "Help Engine Support"</ref>
|-
|[[HTML Help]] (.chm)
| Also known as [[Microsoft Compiled HTML Help]] (the name of its [[file format]]), it based on [[HTML]] and other data such as images and [[JavaScript]]. HTML Help 1.0 was released in 1997.  In 2006, it was available from Microsoft as HTML Help 1.4.
|-
| [[Microsoft Windows Help and Support Center|Help and Support Center]]
| A help system in [[Windows Me]] and [[Windows XP]]
|-
| [[Microsoft Help 2]] (.hxs)
| In 2001, Microsoft announced plans for a wide release of HTML Help 2.0, which came to be called [[Microsoft Help 2]]. This platform was developed by Microsoft and shipped in 2002 as the help format for [[Visual Studio .NET]], [[MSDN library|MSDN Library]] and [[Microsoft TechNet|TechNet]] products, but Microsoft announced it had cancelled plans to make the format publicly available. Microsoft Help 2 was also used as the help format in [[Office 2007]].
|-
| [[AP Help 1.0]] (.h1s)
| Assistance Platform Help is based on [[Microsoft Assistance Markup Language]]. It is the format developed for and shipped with [[Windows Vista]]. It will not be made publicly available as an authoring platform for other software vendors, but will be used by Microsoft, [[Original equipment manufacturer|OEMs]] and certain corporate users. Version 2.0 of the Assistance Platform Help engine is currently on hold{{when?|date=May 2025}}
|}

===Other platforms===
{| class = "wikitable"
! Platform name !! Description
|-
| HelpConsole (local HTML files or web-based) || [[Internet Information Services|IIS]] based system, with a standard navigation tree and content area, viewable with a [[web browser]], supports [[JavaScript|JS]], [[Adobe Flash|Flash]] (now deprecated), [[HTML5]], Embedded presentations etc., Since it is [[web-based]], it works on [[Windows]], [[Linux]], and virtually all other [[Operating System|Operating Systems]].
|-
| [[AmigaGuide]] (.guide) || The official hypertext document file format designed for the [[Amiga]].
|-
| Apple Help (.HELP) || [[Apple Computer]]'s proprietary help platform for the [[Mac OS 8.5]]+ operating system.
|-
| WebHelp || A [[Cross-platform software|cross-platform]], uncompiled Help system that can run on most [[Web browser|browsers]] and on most platforms, including Windows, [[Unix|UNIX]], Linux, Sun [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]], and [[Macintosh]].
|-
| Sun [[JavaHelp]] (.js) || A [[Cross-platform software|platform-independent]] help system written in [[Java (programming language)|Java programming language]] by [[Sun Microsystems]]. It runs on almost any platform and browser that supports the [[Java Runtime Environment]] (JRE).
|-
| [[Oracle Help]]|| Two formats developed by the [[Oracle Corporation]]: Oracle Help for Java (OHJ) and Oracle Help for Web (OHW).<ref>[http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/index-083946.html Oracle Help Technologies]</ref>
|-
| Help library (.HLB) || The official help file format designed for [[OpenVMS|VMS]].
|-
| [[DotNetHelp]]|| A new Windows help format, as an alternative to the .chm format, that also supports [[.NET Framework|.NET applications]].
|-
| [[Texinfo]] (also known as the "info") || The official documentation system for the [[GNU project]].
|-
| [[Manual page (Unix)|Unix man pages]] || The standard method used to document (among others) [[Unix]] programs and [[Unix shell|shell]] commands, [[System call|System]] and [[System call#The library as an intermediary|Library]] calls, [[Device file|Special files]] and [[File format|File formats]] .
|-
| [[Information Presentation Facility]] (IPF) || The help system used by [[IBM]]'s [[OS/2]] system, [[eComStation]] and [[ArcaOS]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arcanoae.com/arcaos/arcaos-screenshots/captured004/|title=ArcaOS IPF Help|access-date=2020-08-24}}</ref> It is the official documentation system for the [[fpGUI|fpGUI Toolkit]] project.
|-
| [[Norton Guides]] || 
|}

==See also==
*[[Balloon help]]
*[[Darwin Information Typing Architecture]]
*[[DocBook]]
*[[Frequently Asked Questions]]
*[[List of help authoring tools]]
*[[Microsoft Assistance Markup Language]] (Microsoft AML) 
*[[Help desk]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Online help| ]]