Helen › Click to download › Updated Info

Helen's automatical install program installs Helen (including graphical interface, HTML editor and preview) plus the redistributable parts of the JavaHelp^TM system (all you need for creating online help) and JRE 1.3.1. Thus, manual installation, configuration and patching for the used basic systems are not necessary.
                                                                                                                

Using the wizard, online helps can be created in a few minutes. The wizard's easily understandable user interface guides through the single work steps, starting with the creation of a project and the adding of HTML pages, continuing with the design of index and table of contents up to output (including search index) as JAR archive or open project. Online helps that were created with the wizard can be individually reworked in advanced mode.
                                                                                                                

All files needed for a JavaHelp^TM project (HTML files containing the single pages of the online help, xml files for index and table of contents etc.) will be administered by Helen.
                                                                                                                

Index and table of contents can be created automatically based on the HTML files that are included in the project. The alphabetical sorting of the index will be performed by the system. The result of the automatic generation can be fully edited. A search index will be created automatically (considering individually editable stopword lists) and embedded into the online help.
                                                                                                                

Index and table of contents can be structured hierarchically using drag&drop. The number of nesting levels is unlimited. Sorting inside sub items is fully supported. Editing index and table of contents is completely done in WYSIWYG mode.
                                                                                                                

Creating map items for the online help's files, deleting corresponding map items after removing files and updating references after changing map items is automatically done by the help authoring tool (HAT) Helen. Manual adding, editing and removing of map items is possible.
                                                                                                                

The integrated basic HTML editor provides the HTML code in editable plain view with structure-based markup. For immediate control of the output result you can switch to WYSIWYG layout view. Several HTML files can be edited concurrently. Based on the 100 percent focusing of the system on JavaHelp^TM, the editor can guarantee a high reliability concerning the output result of the HTML pages.
                                                                                                                

Existing JavaHelp^TM helpsets can be imported completely (also from JAR) and can be edited in the same way as projects that were originally created in Helen. Included indices and tables of contents as well as the mapping can be taken over losslessly.
                                                                                                                

Output can be generated as JAR archive or as open directory structure including all necessary files. Both output types lead to an online help that can be immediately used. No background knowledge about the structural components of the project is needed.
                                                                                                                

All components of the project can be checked regarding their consistency. Error messages and warnings will be created referring to situations like index or table of contents entries without target, map file entries without target, undefined start page etc. A message list will be displayed. Clicking a message in the list will make the system switch to a view where the problem can be corrected immediately.
                                                                                                               

The WYSIWYG preview allows complete testing of the current project status at every point of the online help's development. The functionality of all components (index, search index, table of contents etc.) in preview is exactly the same as their functionality in the ready to use online help.
                                                                                                                

The specialization of all components in JavaHelp^TM guarantees a high security concerning administration, handling and presentation of all used components. Special requirements of JavaHelp^TM are completely fulfilled.
                                                                                                                

Online helps created by Helen can be used cross-platform, i.e. they run on every platform that supports Java 2. This feature is based on the system independence of the underlying JavaHelp^TM system.