Start a Help System Design

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Microsoft Corporation

Updated June 10, 1999

Here are some suggestions for planning a help system or Web site:

• Decide whether you will distribute your help system with a program, or on a Web site.
• Determine who your audience is and, if you will distribute with a program, whether you want to use information types to direct topics to specific users.
• If you will distribute with a program, decide whether you want to display topics in the Help Viewer or create your own frameset. If you are creating a Web site, plan page designs. For frameset and Web site design, plan which documents will contain the HTML Help ActiveX control.
• Plan a design for your topics, create HTML template files, and begin writing.
• Plan a design for your table of contents and index.
• If you will distribute with a program, design any secondary help windows or modifications to the Help Viewer you want to use.
• Create a help project (.hhp) file to manage your help files.