content/documentation/online_help/index.html - openoffice-org - Git at Google

 <html><head>
 <meta HTTP-EQUIV="content-type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
 <style>
 	dt {font-weight: bold; margin-top: 10px; float: none;}
 	dd { margin: 4px, 4px, 4px, 30px;}
 </style>
 </head>
 <body>

 <h2>OpenOffice Online Help</h2>


 <h3>Summary</h3>
 <p>
 This section contains resources and information regarding the Online Help
 for OpenOffice.org 2.0 and higher versions.
 <!--Information about the previous help format 1.x can
 be found <a href="index_1x.html">here</a> -->
 </p>
 <p>Beginning with release 2.0 the online help for OpenOffice.org underwent considerable changes to allow for easier collaboration of the OpenOffice.org community in creating, maintaining, and improving the online help files.</p>
 <p>Below you find some high level information about the new online help. You can find detailed in-depth information as well as instructions on how to work with the new help files in <a href="helpauthoring/HelpAuthoring.html">Understanding and Authoring OpenOffice 2.0 Online Help</a>, <a href="OOo2HelpAuthoring.pdf">(PDF version)</a>.</p>
 <h4>What has changed?</h4>

 <dl>
 <dt>Help File Format</dt>
 <dd><b>Before release 2.0</b>: the help files were available in an unspecified, intermediate XML format based on the OpenOffice.org XML format.
 </dd>
 <dd><b>Now</b>: the help files are migrated to a well-defined, easy and concise XML DTD which was discussed on and is <link>available from</link> OpenOffice.org.<br/>
 The new extension for all help files is <tt>.xhp</tt>
 </dd>
 <dt>Help File Sources</dt>
 <dd><b>Before release 2.0</b>: the nature of the help building process prevented the help source files to be part of the product CVS repository.</dd>
 <dd><b>Now</b>: all help source XML files are part of the product CVS and available in the helpcontent2 module.</dd>
 <dt>Building Help</dt>
 <dd><b>Before release 2.0</b>: the binary online help files were built using a complicated process inside Sun.</dd>
 <dd><b>Now</b>: the help building process is part of the building process of the application and in the hand of the release engineering. Controlled by makefiles, online help can be built by using standard build and make commands in the cvs module.</dd>
 <dt>Help Images and Icons Handling</dt>
 <dd><b>Before release 2.0</b>: the help file set contained screen shots and application icons in its own archive making it necessary to duplicate each icon used in the application. This also made it necessary to compile a separate help set for differently branded products (like StarOffice and OpenOffice.org).</dd>
 <dd><b>Now</b>: all application icons that are used in the help are taken from the central icon repository that is also accessed by the application itself to fetch the icons. In this way, the help always uses the same icons as the application avoiding inconsistencies.<br/>
 All images that are specific to the online help, like screen shots used in some help files, are now in the helpimg folder of the res CVS module and are accessed by the help in the same way as the icons.</dd>
 <dt>Help Authoring</dt>
 <dd><b>Before release 2.0</b>: authoring or editing the help files was virtually impossible for the community since the source files were not available.</dd>
 <dd><b>Now</b>: there is an import and export filter for the OpenOffice.org help file format for OpenOffice.org. Also, there is a set of macros that allows authoring and editing of online help files right from within OpenOffice.org.</dd>
 <dt>Help Localization</dt>
 <dd><b>Before release 2.0</b>: localization followed non-standard process that involved many manual steps to extract and reintegrate content.</dd>
 <dd><b>Now</b>: the localization uses the same process as the UI localization. All of this is conducted by the release engineering. For more information about the UI/Help localization process, please contact the corresponding release engineer Ivo Hinkelmann (ihi@openoffice.org).</dd>
 </dl>

 <h4>Why was it changed?</h4>
 <p>All of these changes were introduced for several reasons:</p>
 <ul>
 <li>to finally put all the help files to open source</li>
 <li>to allow easier collaboration of the community</li>
 <li>to allow for easier customization of the online help</li>
 <li>to streamline the build and localization processes to use well-defined and working processes</li>
 </ul>
 <h4>Where can I find more information?</h4>
 <p>The <a href="OOo2HelpAuthoring.pdf">Understanding and Authoring OpenOffice 2.0
 Online Help</a> document.  </p>

 <div style="border:1px solid #00315a; padding: 3px; background-color: #f0f0f0;">
 <b>Notes</b><br/>
 <p>Work on the help content is still in progress. </p>
 </div>
 <p></p>

 <table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="100%">
 	<tbody>
   	<tr>
 		<td colspan="3" bgcolor="#00315a" align="center"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Online Help  Documents </b></font></td>
   	</tr>

 	<tr>
 		<td bgcolor="#f0f0f0" valign="top"><a href="OOo2HelpAuthoring.pdf">Understanding and Authoring<br> OpenOffice 2.0 Online Help</a></td>
   		<td bgcolor="#f0f0f0" valign="top">
 		This area gives a detailed overview about the new Online Help format of OpenOffice.org
 		2.0.<br/>
 		From the Table Of Contents:
 		<ul>
 <li>How OpenOffice.org Help Works</li>
 <ul>
 	<li>Help Ingredients</li>
 	<li>Installed Help Files</li>
 	<li>Application Help Calls</li>
 	<li>Structure of the CVS Help Module</li>
 	<li>Building the Help Set</li>
 </ul>
 <li>Help File XML format Basics</li>
 <ul>
 	<li>Basic Document Structure</li>
 	<li>Using Variables</li>
 	<li>Paragraph Roles</li>
 	<li>Using Bookmarks</li>
 	<li>Switching Content</li>
 	<li>Embedding Content</li>
 	<li>Images and Icons</li>
 	<li>Localization Information</li>
 	</ul>
 <li>Help File XML Reference</li>
 <ul>
 	<li>Common Attributes</li>
 	<li>Elements</li>
 	</ul>
 <li>Authoring Help With OpenOffice.org</li>
 <ul>
 	<li>Setting Up the Environment</li>
 	<li>Editing Help Files - Basics</li>
 	<li>Character Formatting</li>
 	<li>Working With the Help Files</li>
 	<li>Sections and Paragraphs</li>
 	<li>Tables</li>
 	<li>Lists</li>
 	<li>Working with Images</li>
 	<li>Embedding Content</li>
 	<li>Linking</li>
 	<li>Meta Data</li>
 	<li>Bookmarks</li>
 	<li>Switching Content</li>
 	<li>Miscellaneous</li>
 	<li>Troubleshooting</li>
 	</ul>
 <li>Appendix</li>
 <ul>
 	<li>XML Help DTD</li>
 	</ul>
 <li>Glossary</li>
 </ul>

 		  </td>

 	</tr>
 	<tr>
 		<td bgcolor="#f0f0f0" valign="top"><a href="oldversions/1.x/migration/ooohelpmigration.tar.gz">Migration Script (no longer needed)</a></td>
   		<td bgcolor="#f0f0f0" valign="top">A simple Perl script that helps you migrating existing localizations in 1.x format to 2.0 format.<br/>
 		The tar.gz archive consists of
 		<ul>
 			<li>The Perl script</li>
 			<li>A transformation style sheet</li>
 			<li>The English help sources in 1.x format</li>
 			<li>The initial English help sources in 2.0 format</li>
 		</ul>
 		From the README:<br/>
 		<pre>
 		What you need:
  Perl with XML::LibXML, XML::LibXSLT
  The transformation style sheet migrate.xsl
  The English help sources in 1.x format
  The English help sources in the initial 2.0 format
  The localized help sources in 2.0 format

  How to proceed:
  ---------------
  1. Copy the localized help file tree in 1.x format
     into the 1.x directory
  2. Delete the following obsolete directories:
     - handbuch
     - setupguide
     - screen
  3. Rename all "common" directories to "shared"
  4. Start the script
  5. Check the output files in the 2.0 directory

  What you will get:
  ------------------
  A directory with the localized help files in 2.0 format.
  But please note:
  The files only contain elements that could be
  migrated and that need localization. So you will end
  up with _incomplete_ help files. You will need to merge
  those file with the English 2.0 files. After merging
  you should have mixed language help files containing
  English and localized content as well as the structural
  elements that do not need localization

  This script is only meant to simplify the business of
  migration.

  Use at your own risk.
  Check the resulting files.
  Feel free to tamper with this.
  Don't ask for support.

 		</pre>
 		</td>
 		</tr>


 </table>
 <div style="font-size:8pt">Questions may go to <a href="mailto:doc@openoffice.apache.org">Apache OpenOffice Documentation mailing list.</a></div>
 </body>
 </html>
	<html><head>
	<meta HTTP-EQUIV="content-type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
	<style>
	dt {font-weight: bold; margin-top: 10px; float: none;}
	dd { margin: 4px, 4px, 4px, 30px;}
	</style>
	</head>
	<body>

	<h2>OpenOffice Online Help</h2>


	<h3>Summary</h3>
	<p>
	This section contains resources and information regarding the Online Help
	for OpenOffice.org 2.0 and higher versions.
	<!--Information about the previous help format 1.x can
	be found <a href="index_1x.html">here</a> -->
	</p>
	<p>Beginning with release 2.0 the online help for OpenOffice.org underwent considerable changes to allow for easier collaboration of the OpenOffice.org community in creating, maintaining, and improving the online help files.</p>
	<p>Below you find some high level information about the new online help. You can find detailed in-depth information as well as instructions on how to work with the new help files in <a href="helpauthoring/HelpAuthoring.html">Understanding and Authoring OpenOffice 2.0 Online Help</a>, <a href="OOo2HelpAuthoring.pdf">(PDF version)</a>.</p>
	<h4>What has changed?</h4>

	<dl>
	<dt>Help File Format</dt>
	<dd><b>Before release 2.0</b>: the help files were available in an unspecified, intermediate XML format based on the OpenOffice.org XML format.
	</dd>
	<dd><b>Now</b>: the help files are migrated to a well-defined, easy and concise XML DTD which was discussed on and is <link>available from</link> OpenOffice.org.<br/>
	The new extension for all help files is <tt>.xhp</tt>
	</dd>
	<dt>Help File Sources</dt>
	<dd><b>Before release 2.0</b>: the nature of the help building process prevented the help source files to be part of the product CVS repository.</dd>
	<dd><b>Now</b>: all help source XML files are part of the product CVS and available in the helpcontent2 module.</dd>
	<dt>Building Help</dt>
	<dd><b>Before release 2.0</b>: the binary online help files were built using a complicated process inside Sun.</dd>
	<dd><b>Now</b>: the help building process is part of the building process of the application and in the hand of the release engineering. Controlled by makefiles, online help can be built by using standard build and make commands in the cvs module.</dd>
	<dt>Help Images and Icons Handling</dt>
	<dd><b>Before release 2.0</b>: the help file set contained screen shots and application icons in its own archive making it necessary to duplicate each icon used in the application. This also made it necessary to compile a separate help set for differently branded products (like StarOffice and OpenOffice.org).</dd>
	<dd><b>Now</b>: all application icons that are used in the help are taken from the central icon repository that is also accessed by the application itself to fetch the icons. In this way, the help always uses the same icons as the application avoiding inconsistencies.<br/>
	All images that are specific to the online help, like screen shots used in some help files, are now in the helpimg folder of the res CVS module and are accessed by the help in the same way as the icons.</dd>
	<dt>Help Authoring</dt>
	<dd><b>Before release 2.0</b>: authoring or editing the help files was virtually impossible for the community since the source files were not available.</dd>
	<dd><b>Now</b>: there is an import and export filter for the OpenOffice.org help file format for OpenOffice.org. Also, there is a set of macros that allows authoring and editing of online help files right from within OpenOffice.org.</dd>
	<dt>Help Localization</dt>
	<dd><b>Before release 2.0</b>: localization followed non-standard process that involved many manual steps to extract and reintegrate content.</dd>
	<dd><b>Now</b>: the localization uses the same process as the UI localization. All of this is conducted by the release engineering. For more information about the UI/Help localization process, please contact the corresponding release engineer Ivo Hinkelmann (ihi@openoffice.org).</dd>
	</dl>

	<h4>Why was it changed?</h4>
	<p>All of these changes were introduced for several reasons:</p>
	<ul>
	<li>to finally put all the help files to open source</li>
	<li>to allow easier collaboration of the community</li>
	<li>to allow for easier customization of the online help</li>
	<li>to streamline the build and localization processes to use well-defined and working processes</li>
	</ul>
	<h4>Where can I find more information?</h4>
	<p>The <a href="OOo2HelpAuthoring.pdf">Understanding and Authoring OpenOffice 2.0
	Online Help</a> document. </p>

	<div style="border:1px solid #00315a; padding: 3px; background-color: #f0f0f0;">
	<b>Notes</b><br/>
	<p>Work on the help content is still in progress. </p>
	</div>
	<p></p>

	<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="100%">
	<tbody>
	<tr>
	<td colspan="3" bgcolor="#00315a" align="center"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Online Help Documents </b></font></td>
	</tr>

	<tr>
	<td bgcolor="#f0f0f0" valign="top"><a href="OOo2HelpAuthoring.pdf">Understanding and Authoring<br> OpenOffice 2.0 Online Help</a></td>
	<td bgcolor="#f0f0f0" valign="top">
	This area gives a detailed overview about the new Online Help format of OpenOffice.org
	2.0.<br/>
	From the Table Of Contents:
	<ul>
	<li>How OpenOffice.org Help Works</li>
	<ul>
	<li>Help Ingredients</li>
	<li>Installed Help Files</li>
	<li>Application Help Calls</li>
	<li>Structure of the CVS Help Module</li>
	<li>Building the Help Set</li>
	</ul>
	<li>Help File XML format Basics</li>
	<ul>
	<li>Basic Document Structure</li>
	<li>Using Variables</li>
	<li>Paragraph Roles</li>
	<li>Using Bookmarks</li>
	<li>Switching Content</li>
	<li>Embedding Content</li>
	<li>Images and Icons</li>
	<li>Localization Information</li>
	</ul>
	<li>Help File XML Reference</li>
	<ul>
	<li>Common Attributes</li>
	<li>Elements</li>
	</ul>
	<li>Authoring Help With OpenOffice.org</li>
	<ul>
	<li>Setting Up the Environment</li>
	<li>Editing Help Files - Basics</li>
	<li>Character Formatting</li>
	<li>Working With the Help Files</li>
	<li>Sections and Paragraphs</li>
	<li>Tables</li>
	<li>Lists</li>
	<li>Working with Images</li>
	<li>Embedding Content</li>
	<li>Linking</li>
	<li>Meta Data</li>
	<li>Bookmarks</li>
	<li>Switching Content</li>
	<li>Miscellaneous</li>
	<li>Troubleshooting</li>
	</ul>
	<li>Appendix</li>
	<ul>
	<li>XML Help DTD</li>
	</ul>
	<li>Glossary</li>
	</ul>

	</td>

	</tr>
	<tr>
	<td bgcolor="#f0f0f0" valign="top"><a href="oldversions/1.x/migration/ooohelpmigration.tar.gz">Migration Script (no longer needed)</a></td>
	<td bgcolor="#f0f0f0" valign="top">A simple Perl script that helps you migrating existing localizations in 1.x format to 2.0 format.<br/>
	The tar.gz archive consists of
	<ul>
	<li>The Perl script</li>
	<li>A transformation style sheet</li>
	<li>The English help sources in 1.x format</li>
	<li>The initial English help sources in 2.0 format</li>
	</ul>
	From the README:<br/>
	<pre>
	What you need:
	Perl with XML::LibXML, XML::LibXSLT
	The transformation style sheet migrate.xsl
	The English help sources in 1.x format
	The English help sources in the initial 2.0 format
	The localized help sources in 2.0 format

	How to proceed:
	---------------
	1. Copy the localized help file tree in 1.x format
	into the 1.x directory
	2. Delete the following obsolete directories:
	- handbuch
	- setupguide
	- screen
	3. Rename all "common" directories to "shared"
	4. Start the script
	5. Check the output files in the 2.0 directory

	What you will get:
	------------------
	A directory with the localized help files in 2.0 format.
	But please note:
	The files only contain elements that could be
	migrated and that need localization. So you will end
	up with _incomplete_ help files. You will need to merge
	those file with the English 2.0 files. After merging
	you should have mixed language help files containing
	English and localized content as well as the structural
	elements that do not need localization

	This script is only meant to simplify the business of
	migration.

	Use at your own risk.
	Check the resulting files.
	Feel free to tamper with this.
	Don't ask for support.

	</pre>
	</td>
	</tr>


	</table>
	<div style="font-size:8pt">Questions may go to <a href="mailto:doc@openoffice.apache.org">Apache OpenOffice Documentation mailing list.</a></div>
	</body>
	</html>