HelpScribble 7.8.1

If you need a help authoring tool for creating help files for your applications, you could use HelpScribble. It supports exporting to RTF+HPJ, to CHM, and to HTML pages (WEB help). It also supports exporting the help topics to a text file. Each help topic is accompanied by a number which can be used by programmers to provide context-sensitive help for their applications.

HelpScribble uses a third party help compiler which can be downloaded from the publisher's website. I used Microsoft Help Compiler to test the program. The program has a built-in spell checker, but no spelling dictionary is installed with the program. If you are connected to the Internet, the program can automatically download a dictionary for your language.

I would have liked its editor to be fully WYSIWYG compliant. However, the program gives easy access to modifications so it isn't such a big problem. The user interface seems a bit cluttered, having a lot of buttons, but once you get the hang of it, it's ok.

Pluses: HelpScribble features include merging two of its projects, inserting images and links into the help file, font formatting and more. Dividing any topic into a non-scrolling region, and a scrolling region is also supported. It's only normal that this kind of application has a good help file and good online documentation available.

Drawbacks / flaws: The program's index editor, where you can define keywords for your help file, doesn't support automatic keyword searching, so you have to enter them manually. I would have liked a wizard, to guide me in creating a help file.

In conclusion: HelpScribble is a good authoring tool, providing you with a lot of useful functions needed to create a help file.

version reviewed: 7.6.1