Hello World...
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I hate .pdf files. They are a PITA wherever I find them, and most help files are bad enough without the added aggravation. They're slow to load, behave erratically with wheelmouse drivers, and print badly on many printers. Other than that, it's wonderful idea...;) Ancient man conquered his rivals with the jawbone of an ass; modern man uses the jawbone of a politician.
I agree. The acrobat reader is a PITA. Scrolling is jerky and slow. In my opinion, if using a PDF file as a help file was a good thing, them more people would be doing it. But they aren't, so that should be a sign. :) Why not use a HTML file as the help file? Thats essentially what a .chm file is. But taking my own advice, I don't see many people using HTML files as help files, so it might not be such a good idea. Thoughts? Opinions?
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:-D I have decided to use a .pdf file for my app's help file. Does anyone else like or dislike doing this? I think it is very fast and effective. the only con I can think of is that the user must download and install Acrobat reader but who doesn't have that??;P <newly added> additional reading[^] </newly added> Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^]JoeSox wrote: I have decided to use a .pdf file for my app's help file. Thank God! I am not using your app. What is the problem in sticking with the standard - HTML help.
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I agree. The acrobat reader is a PITA. Scrolling is jerky and slow. In my opinion, if using a PDF file as a help file was a good thing, them more people would be doing it. But they aren't, so that should be a sign. :) Why not use a HTML file as the help file? Thats essentially what a .chm file is. But taking my own advice, I don't see many people using HTML files as help files, so it might not be such a good idea. Thoughts? Opinions?
mgama wrote: In my opinion, if using a PDF file as a help file was a good thing, them more people would be doing it. But they aren't, so that should be a sign. No, they are using PDF, you are just not using Linux ;P I rated this article 2 by mistake. It deserves more. I wanted to get to the second page... - vjedlicka 3:33 25 Nov '02
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I agree. The acrobat reader is a PITA. Scrolling is jerky and slow. In my opinion, if using a PDF file as a help file was a good thing, them more people would be doing it. But they aren't, so that should be a sign. :) Why not use a HTML file as the help file? Thats essentially what a .chm file is. But taking my own advice, I don't see many people using HTML files as help files, so it might not be such a good idea. Thoughts? Opinions?
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JoeSox wrote: I have decided to use a .pdf file for my app's help file. Thank God! I am not using your app. What is the problem in sticking with the standard - HTML help.
Rama Krishna wrote: What is the problem in sticking with the standard - HTML help. I want it to be searchable. I want an index. This would mean I need to compile a .chm file what a bureaucratic process. Create the .htm files create the index, add the files blah, blah, blah!:mad: Adobe way... Create MS word document with Headers for your wanted bookmarks/index. when finished turn into .pdf walla!!:-D Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^] -
:-D I have decided to use a .pdf file for my app's help file. Does anyone else like or dislike doing this? I think it is very fast and effective. the only con I can think of is that the user must download and install Acrobat reader but who doesn't have that??;P <newly added> additional reading[^] </newly added> Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^]I hate pdf-files for help or documentation. It just plain sucks compared to html-help. - Anders Money talks, but all mine ever says is "Goodbye!"
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I hate pdf-files for help or documentation. It just plain sucks compared to html-help. - Anders Money talks, but all mine ever says is "Goodbye!"
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:-D I have decided to use a .pdf file for my app's help file. Does anyone else like or dislike doing this? I think it is very fast and effective. the only con I can think of is that the user must download and install Acrobat reader but who doesn't have that??;P <newly added> additional reading[^] </newly added> Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^]NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! [ edited version: whoops, I forgot that would scroll! :eek: ]
David Wulff
"Somebody get this freakin' duck away from me!" - Strong Bad [^]
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! [ edited version: whoops, I forgot that would scroll! :eek: ]
David Wulff
"Somebody get this freakin' duck away from me!" - Strong Bad [^]
The least you could have done was to split the NOO...OOO into multiple lines to prevent horiz scrolling! And you are the guy who's the author of the best working version of these forums. Tut tut Dave tut tut. Nish p.s. Tut again...
Author of the romantic comedy Summer Love and Some more Cricket [New Win] Review by Shog9 Click here for review[NW]
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:-D I have decided to use a .pdf file for my app's help file. Does anyone else like or dislike doing this? I think it is very fast and effective. the only con I can think of is that the user must download and install Acrobat reader but who doesn't have that??;P <newly added> additional reading[^] </newly added> Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^]PDF files suck as help files Joe. Totally suck. If you dont want a chm file just put a group of crosslinked html files in the [app path]/helpfiles folder and spawn it on IE. That's far better than slow clumsy PDF files. Nish
Author of the romantic comedy Summer Love and Some more Cricket [New Win] Review by Shog9 Click here for review[NW]
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The least you could have done was to split the NOO...OOO into multiple lines to prevent horiz scrolling! And you are the guy who's the author of the best working version of these forums. Tut tut Dave tut tut. Nish p.s. Tut again...
Author of the romantic comedy Summer Love and Some more Cricket [New Win] Review by Shog9 Click here for review[NW]
I noticed as soon as it loaded after posting it. :-O Having to scroll nine pages to see the "modify" link was possibly a bit much, so I edited it to a moderately smaller versoin. :)
David Wulff
"Somebody get this freakin' duck away from me!" - Strong Bad [^]
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I noticed as soon as it loaded after posting it. :-O Having to scroll nine pages to see the "modify" link was possibly a bit much, so I edited it to a moderately smaller versoin. :)
David Wulff
"Somebody get this freakin' duck away from me!" - Strong Bad [^]
David Wulff wrote: so I edited it to a moderately smaller versoin. Cool :-) Nish
Author of the romantic comedy Summer Love and Some more Cricket [New Win] Review by Shog9 Click here for review[NW]
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:-D I have decided to use a .pdf file for my app's help file. Does anyone else like or dislike doing this? I think it is very fast and effective. the only con I can think of is that the user must download and install Acrobat reader but who doesn't have that??;P <newly added> additional reading[^] </newly added> Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^]Well, it seems that I’m the only one who is going to support your initiative on using pdf as help files. They are great to produce printable versions of the help. In my experience, a lot of customers prefer to print out the help documents (at least the basics) than working with the online version. Standard WinHelp/htmlHelp based systems really suck on this point. To be honest, now I’m offering two versions to my users: htmlhelp+pdf documents. What I’m doing is using DocToHelp which allows you to create your help documents using Word
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Anders Molin wrote: It just plain sucks compared to html-help. perhaps but compiling it sucks even more don't you think? Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^]JoeSox wrote: Anders Molin wrote: It just plain sucks compared to html-help. perhaps but compiling it sucks even more don't you think? Nope. One gets the impression you have no interest in the end-user experience, only what is easier for you the developer. I hope this attitude doesn't carry through to the entire application. Like everyone else has said PDF sucks for on line help. Neville Franks, Author of ED for Windows. www.getsoft.com Make money with our new Affilate program
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mgama wrote: Scrolling is jerky and slow. I don't understand why. I haven't experienced this. Are these symptoms caused by older machines? System requirement and such? Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^]I agree with mgama and Roger. They are slow to load and don't have good mouse wheel support. I don't think it is specific to old software or machines. I have a fairly new 2.4 Ghz P4 running Win2K. When I get ready to develop my next help system (next month), I will probably use html. The main reason is that the software is implemented on Windows and the MacOS. I want one help system to work on both, which would also lend itself to the pdf format. Gary Kirkham A working Program is one that has only unobserved bugs I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted paychecks
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Roger Wright wrote: I hate .pdf files. They are a PITA wherever I find them, and most help files are bad enough without the added aggravation. They're slow to load, behave erratically with wheelmouse drivers, and print badly on many printers. I took steps to solve these problems in my .pdf. I am using a think font. when the pdf is opened the bookmarks/contents is opened on the left. I have not experienced the wheelmouse problems, what version of Acrobat are you using?;) better yet, time to get a new mouse?:-D Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^]All versions of Acrobat suffer the problem, and it doesn't matter what age or make of mouse. The contents pane is nice; what I like best is that I can close it.:-D Ancient man conquered his rivals with the jawbone of an ass; modern man uses the jawbone of a politician.
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Anders Molin wrote: It just plain sucks compared to html-help. perhaps but compiling it sucks even more don't you think? Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^]JoeSox wrote: but compiling it sucks even more don't you think Maybe, and so what. Are you interested in making online help that's good to use for the users, or easy to make for you? Usability, ever heard about that? - Anders Money talks, but all mine ever says is "Goodbye!"
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mgama wrote: Scrolling is jerky and slow. I don't understand why. I haven't experienced this. Are these symptoms caused by older machines? System requirement and such? Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^]JoeSox wrote: I don't understand why. I haven't experienced this. Are these symptoms caused by older machines? System requirement and such? A slow software is a slow software no matter what machine you have. Browsing the web is way faster than using pdf. I hate them. Specs: 2xPIII 800, 512Mb RAM, RIVA TNT2 32Mb. No the fastest machine in the world, but I used to read documents faster than on Acrobat Reader with my XT 4.77Mhz on DOS 3.1.
It's not the fall that kills you: it's the sudden stop - Down by Law, Jim Jamursch (1986)
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Anders Molin wrote: It just plain sucks compared to html-help. perhaps but compiling it sucks even more don't you think? Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^]JoeSox wrote: perhaps but compiling it sucks even more don't you think? If complexity is a problem for you, give them a plain textfile named README or INSTALL, like they do on Linux. Without an extension, all caps, because it's easier to do this way.
It's not the fall that kills you: it's the sudden stop - Down by Law, Jim Jamursch (1986)
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Rama Krishna wrote: What is the problem in sticking with the standard - HTML help. I want it to be searchable. I want an index. This would mean I need to compile a .chm file what a bureaucratic process. Create the .htm files create the index, add the files blah, blah, blah!:mad: Adobe way... Create MS word document with Headers for your wanted bookmarks/index. when finished turn into .pdf walla!!:-D Later,
JoeSox
www.joeswammi.com
USN Veteran 94-98[^]JoeSox wrote: Adobe way... Yea, and then the user try to press F1.... X| - Anders Money talks, but all mine ever says is "Goodbye!"