Conseo

Helpers Centre

Proven computer technologies of the eighties and nineties found a way to large parts of the world. However, sometimes proper documentation in distant regions is difficult to get.

In many parts of the world, people have no persistent Internet connection. Although the Western hype is in online help systems, a majority of programmers and computer users rely on phone connections. They need compressed electronic readings to browse offline.

This Conseo website is devoted to make scarce Help resources available. We offer expertise in finding electronic courses and make it of use. And we point to  locations where adequate Help can be found.

Some people in what is called 'second' or 'third' world countries are clever programmers. But do not meet today's high standards in user information and comfort. Without presentation and thorough reference material it is not easy to translate to the first world marketplace.

That is why this website is also about the use of cheap and crucial technologies to generate and maintain Quality Help. Since some program authors find hardly time to document their work, it is important to use the most adequate methods. Conseo helps authors with knowledge and tools to work efficiently.

Within a few weeks some articles and files will be published here.

Friendly regards,
Kerkhof.Bert [at] gmail.com

 

First publication
Download 'Knowledge Transfer v0.93' (741 kb)
Knowledge Transfer, tool to generate HTML Help files.

The tool is a pre-compiler. It takes a single Help file source and creates from this all the files needed to compile a Chm Help file.

With the Knowledge Transfer tool there is a choice of two formats for inputting a Help source file:

  1. As a Text file with only some necessary HTML marks. For enhancing the resulting Help file layout, natural text editing styles are auto-detected. Elements important in structural technical writing are recognized, such as multilevel headers, lists and definitions. Knowledge Transfer converts the Text to a HTML file. A style presentation theme is applied to enhance the visual appearance. In the first release one theme is available and is chosen automatically. Presentation elements such as images and tables can be added to the Text file, using standard HTML inline statements. The resulting file with .Htm extension complies with strict HTML rules. In case you want an index in the Help file, you need to identify keywords. For the Help Text format there are two options to do so.

    If you want to process the result further with a HTML visual editor, be sure to backup the original Text file, to preserve your efforts and what you have reached so far at that point.

  2. As a .Htm file, in machine readable HTML format. This input format is used by owners of cutting edge visual HTML editors such as FrontPage or DreamWeaver. Also Word has the option of saving a file in .Htm format. For visual editors there are two options to identify keywords.

Knowledge Transfer features "AutoLink". When in your Help source a topic title is mentioned, in the resulting Help file a link to the topic is added. Upper- and lowercase may differ and does not inhibit the AutoLink creation. Knowledge Transfer does all the link building work. This is a time saver. When using Text file source input, also Internet addresses are converted to links.

The Help process that is supported with the Knowledge Transfer program results in two output formats. One target is the Chm Help file. The process always also involves a resulting single HTML file. That can be used for generating printed output or print file viewers. The single HTML file lets you easily present the content to a Free automatic translation service.

Knowledge Transfer is delivered with a Help file that explains the program and also is an example created with the tool.