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| OpenOffice.org Online Help |
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| <div class="menuitem">Help File Format</div> |
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| <h1>Changes in Version 2.0</h1> |
| <img src="img/ooo_gulls.png" class="flowright"> |
| <p>Beginning with release 2.0 the online help for <span class="oooname">OpenOffice.org</span> underwent considerable changes |
| to allow for easier collaboration of the <span class="oooname">OpenOffice.org</span> community in creating, maintaining, |
| and improving the online help files</p> |
| |
| <p>All of these changes were introduced for several reasons:</p> |
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| <ul class="olh"> |
| <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> |
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| <h2>Help File Format</h2> |
| <img src="img/kruler.png" class="flowright"> |
| <p>Before release 2.0, the help files were available in an unspecified, intermediate XML |
| format based on the <span class="oooname">OpenOffice.org</span> XML format. Now, the help files are migrated to a |
| well-defined, easy and concise XML DTD which was discussed on and is available |
| from <span class="oooname">OpenOffice.org</span>.<br> |
| The new extension for all help files is .xhp </p> |
| |
| <h2>Help File Sources</h2> |
| <img src="img/package_editors.png" class="flowright"> |
| <p>Before release 2.0, the nature of the help building process prevented the help |
| source files to be part of the product CVS repository. Now, all help source XML files |
| are part of the product CVS and available in the helpcontent2 module.</p> |
| |
| <h2>Building Help</h2> |
| <img src="img/package_development.png" class="flowright"> |
| <p>Before release 2.0, the binary online help files were built using a |
| complicated process inside Sun. Now, 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.</p> |
| |
| <h2>Help Images and Icons Handling</h2> |
| <img src="img/kpaint.png" class="flowright"> |
| <p>Before release 2.0, 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 <span class="oooname">OpenOffice.org</span>).</p> |
| <p>Now, 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. |
| 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.</p> |
| |
| <h2>Help Authoring</h2> |
| <img src="img/ksig.png" class="flowright"> |
| <p>Before release 2.0, authoring or editing the help files was virtually impossible |
| for the community since the source files were not available. |
| Now, there is an import and export filter for the <span class="oooname">OpenOffice.org</span> help file format |
| for <span class="oooname">OpenOffice.org</span>. Also, there is a set of macros that allows authoring and editing |
| of online help files right from within <span class="oooname">OpenOffice.org</span>.</p> |
| |
| <h2>Help Localization</h2> |
| <img src="img/locale.png" class="flowright"> |
| <p>Before release 2.0, localization followed non-standard process that involved |
| many manual steps to extract and reintegrate content. |
| Now, 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 |
| <a href="mailto:ihi@openoffice.org">Ivo Hinkelmann</a>.</p> |
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| <div id="olh_footer">last modified Feb 3, 2006 - The nuvola icon set by David Vignoni (http://www.icon-king.com)</div> |
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