[comp.windows.ms.programmer] HYPERtext apps...any besides Windows Help? - yes

hadgraft@civeng.monash.edu.au (Roger Hadgraft) (11/13/90)

In article <1990Nov11.125221@madmax.Viewlogic.COM>, kenc@madmax.Viewlogic.COM (Kenstir) writes:
> Has anyone used or seen Hypertext applications running under Win 3
> other than MS's own Help system?
>
> Additionally, has anyone developed On-line help for Windows' help
> as well as somebody else's help system?
>
> Thanks, netters!
>
> --
> Kenneth H. Cox

The best of them is GUIDE which I've been using for about 2 years. I'm using it
to structure engineering technical information. The drawback is that you must
purchase run-times at a cost depending on how many you want. Cost of GUIDE
itself is about US$400-500. GUIDE offers great capabilities for building very
complex hypertext applications, and includes a scripting facility for tricky
operations.

I've looked at the Windows Help system which looks nice for small applications,
but it has no development shell. What is needed is an interface like GUIDE which
allows such systems to be built quite rapidly. Presumably Microsoft might
produce such a tool in about 2 years time.

BTW, you can also use ToolBook, Plus, and other similar packages.
>
--
Roger Hadgraft                  |  hadgraft@civeng.monash.edu.au
Lecturer in Civil Engineering   |
Monash University               |  phone:  +61 3 565 4983
Clayton, Vic. 3168. Australia.  |  fax:    +61 3 565 4944 or 3409

hjb@otter.hpl.hp.com (Harry Barman) (11/13/90)

I have used toolbook extensively as a prototyping language.

Toolbok looks pretty nice as a hypertext package ('tho it is the only one
I have used in anger),  but if you stray from pure hypertext beware of the
64K page limit and the 64K book script limit.  The graphics speed is OK, but
the interpreter is a bit sluggish, especially if you are trying to get around
the 64K book limit.

Cheers,

Harry

hjb@otter.hpl.hp.com (Harry Barman) (11/13/90)

Ah, I forgot to mention, every copy of windows 3 seems to come with a free
runtime copy of toolbook.

Cheers,

Harry