HelpSmith

Last updated
HelpSmith
Developer(s) Divcom Software
Stable release
9.8 [1] / September 18, 2023;0 days ago (2023-09-18)
Operating system Microsoft Windows
Available inEnglish
Type IDE
License Trialware
Website www.helpsmith.com

HelpSmith is a Windows-based help authoring tool published by Divcom Software. [2]

Contents

HelpSmith allows a technical writer to create documentation in various formats, such as HTML Help (CHM), Web Help (HTML-based help system), PDF, and ePub. Also HelpSmith includes screen capture and image annotation tools.

History

Version 1.0 of HelpSmith was released in 2007 as a help authoring tool that had support for a single HTML Help (CHM) format. On February 7, 2008, HelpSmith was presented on the Giveaway of the Day website where the product received initial feedback and feature requests from its users. [3]

Over the past few years, HelpSmith has obtained support for the major documentation formats, support for High DPI displays, improvements to the user interface, and other enhancements. [4]

Key features

Similarly to common help authoring tools, HelpSmith includes a word processor to edit the content of help topics, customizable templates, user-defined variables, the ability to import existing documentation, media files management tools, support for various output formats, [5] conditional compilation capabilities, and other functions.

Image editing capabilities

The integrated Image Tool can be used by a technical writer to capture screenshots of an application or website, and to add annotations for elements demonstrated on a screenshot. The Image Tool also has support for control annotations which can be used for creation of user interface documentation. [6] [7]

Awards

Licensing terms

HelpSmith is available as a free trial version that can be downloaded for evaluation purposes from the official website. A single-user (per seat) license allows a customer to install HelpSmith Standard or HelpSmith Professional Edition on the main computer, and on a second computer, such as laptop. A multiple-user (floating) license allows a customer to install HelpSmith Terminal Server Edition on a terminal server in the client/server environment for concurrent usage by multiple users. [13]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "HelpSmith Download Page". HelpSmith.
  2. ↑ "ComponentSource". ComponentSource. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  3. ↑ "HelpSmith on GiveAwayOfTheDay". GiveAwayOfTheDay. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  4. ↑ "HelpSmith - Change log". Softpedia. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  5. ↑ Opris, Elena. "Softpedia". Softpedia. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  6. ↑ Green, Ann. "Help Authoring Tool (HAT) Software Market New Technologies". Medium. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Redesigned Image Tool with Various Annotations, Support for Hotspots, and Other Enhancements". HelpSmith. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  8. ↑ "G2 Crowd - HelpSmith Reviews". G2 Crowd. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  9. ↑ "G2 Crowd - Help authoring tools". G2 Crowd. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  10. ↑ "Visual Studio Magazine Reader's Choice Award". GlobeNewsWire. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  11. ↑ "Visual Studio Magazine's 2020 Reader's Choice Awards". Visual Studio Magazine. Converge360. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  12. ↑ "Visual Studio Magazine 2021 Reader's Choice Award". GlobeNewsWire. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  13. ↑ "HelpSmith EULA". HelpSmith Manual. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
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