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HelpSmith has proven to be the go-to tool for users seeking an intuitive and efficient solution for creating help files and manuals. Users …
Overview
What is HelpSmith?
HelpSmith is a help authoring tool designed by Divcom Software to assist technical writers and documentation teams in creating professional help files, online help systems, PDF manuals, and other forms of documentation. According to the vendor, HelpSmith provides a complete XML-based solution for creating...
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- Tech Details
What is HelpSmith?
HelpSmith is a help authoring tool designed by Divcom Software to assist technical writers and documentation teams in creating professional help files, online help systems, PDF manuals, and other forms of documentation. According to the vendor, HelpSmith provides a complete XML-based solution for creating and managing help files and manuals from a single source. It is suitable for companies of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. The tool caters to the needs of technical writers, documentation specialists, software developers, IT professionals, and training and e-Learning professionals across various industries.
Key Features
Complete XML-based help authoring tool: According to the vendor, HelpSmith allows the creation of CHM HTML Help files, Web Help systems, PDF manuals, ePub eBooks, and Markdown documentation from a single source. It provides a comprehensive solution for creating and managing help files and manuals, supporting multiple output formats.
Full-featured word processor: HelpSmith offers dynamic styles, variables, a spell checker for different languages, and Unicode support. The vendor claims that it provides a user-friendly interface for creating and editing content, allowing customization of formatting options to ensure consistency and professionalism.
Powerful Conditional Compilation capabilities: HelpSmith enables the use of build tags for conditional content inclusion based on specific criteria. According to the vendor, this feature provides flexibility in generating different versions of the documentation for various audiences or scenarios, helping to streamline the documentation process.
Topic templates: HelpSmith allows customization of the appearance of help files or documents through predefined templates. The vendor states that this feature provides consistent formatting and layout across multiple topics, saving time by eliminating the need to manually format each topic.
Import content from various formats: HelpSmith supports importing content from HTML, MS Word, CHM, and other formats. The vendor claims that this feature facilitates the migration of existing documentation into HelpSmith and enables the integration of external content sources for a seamless documentation creation process.
Built-in Image Tool for capturing and annotating screenshots: HelpSmith provides an integrated tool for capturing screenshots and inserting them into the documentation. According to the vendor, this tool offers various annotations such as rectangles, ellipses, arrows, balloons, lines, text labels, and control annotations. It allows customization of annotation appearance and flexible settings for capturing screenshots.
Automatic generation of topic drafts for UI documentation: HelpSmith includes control annotations for user interface elements demonstrated on a screenshot. According to the vendor, this feature automatically generates topic drafts with detailed descriptions for controls and offers customizable style schemes for control annotations.
Responsive Web Help system creation: HelpSmith generates a responsive layout compatible with desktop computers and mobile devices. The vendor states that it allows customization of the Header, Footer, and Mobile Header areas and supports custom JavaScript and CSS styles for topics and Web Help layout.
Open XML-based Help Project Format for teamwork and translations: HelpSmith enables collaborative work on a help project using version control systems. According to the vendor, this feature facilitates compatibility with external translation tools and allows editing project files with a plain text editor for advanced customization.
Multiple Output Formats: HelpSmith supports the creation of CHM HTML Help files, Web Help systems, PDF manuals, ePub eBooks, and Markdown documentation from a single source. According to the vendor, this feature provides flexibility in delivering documentation in various formats to cater to different user preferences and requirements.
HelpSmith Features
- Supported: Templates
HelpSmith Technical Details
| Deployment Types | Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based |
|---|---|
| Operating Systems | Web-Based |
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TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!
- Business Problems Solved
- Recommendations
HelpSmith has proven to be the go-to tool for users seeking an intuitive and efficient solution for creating help files and manuals. Users appreciate how the software seamlessly integrates with various help file formats, making it the preferred choice over other similar products on the market. With HelpSmith, users can easily create and update their help systems, saving significant time and effort in the process.
The software is particularly valuable for creating comprehensive help documentation for software applications like the Tax Code or enterprise MRP systems. HelpSmith offers a range of publishing options, including hard copy manuals, PDFs, and web help compiled versions of the help file. Its well-defined and easy-to-build format allows users to create compact and compartmentalized help files that can be accessed by different cultures. Furthermore, the inclusion of embedded diagrams and screen prints enhances the accessibility and clarity of the content.
Another key use case for HelpSmith is its support for context-sensitive help. This feature enables users to focus on specific topics without feeling overwhelmed by irrelevant information. As a result, users can quickly find the information they need without having to contact direct support, resulting in a reduction in support calls.
Overall, users have found HelpSmith to be a reliable and indispensable tool that has served their application help file needs for years. They appreciate its user-friendly interface, time-saving features, and the ability to easily maintain and update their help systems.
Users of HelpSmith have provided several recommendations based on their experiences with the software. The most common recommendations include trying the demo version, finding it intuitive and easy to use, and enjoying the experience. Many users have suggested testing out the demo of HelpSmith, as this allows potential users to explore the features and functionality of the software before making a decision. Reviewers have found HelpSmith to be intuitive and user-friendly, appreciating the ease with which they can navigate through the software and create their help files and information. Additionally, users have expressed their enjoyment while using HelpSmith, finding the software pleasant to work with, which enhances their productivity and overall satisfaction. Overall, users highly recommend HelpSmith for creating help files and information, suggesting trying out the demo version and experiencing firsthand how intuitive, easy to use, and enjoyable the software is.