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JAVAHELPTM SOFTWARE FAQ |
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General
What is the JavaHelp software? Technology
What versions of the JDKTM
will the JavaHelp software support?
What is the JavaHelp software? The JavaHelp software is both an API and a platform-independent, extensible system for application help and online documentation. Written entirely in the JavaTM programming language, the JavaHelp help system provides capabilities for navigating, searching, and displaying information. Is JavaHelp software a Help Authoring Tool? No, JavaHelp software is not a Help Authoring Tool. For information about Help Authoring Tools for JavaHelp software, please see the Industry Support page at java.sun.com/products/javahelp/industry.html. Who can use the JavaHelp software? The JavaHelp software enables information designers, help authors, and software developers to provide a single, cross-platform, cross-browser solution for all online documentation needs, including online help for components, applets, and applications, and online documentation (i.e. books and employee handbooks) for the Web or corporate intranet. What are the key advantages of the JavaHelp software? There are many advantages in using the JavaHelp software, including the following:
Why create a help system standard for the Java Platform? Most applications require a help system; Java applications are no exception. Software developers and authors have expressed a strong desire for a help system standard designed to integrate well with the Java Platform. The JavaHelp software fills this void by providing a high quality, user-centric help system that will eliminate the need to develop a costly proprietary help system. Who is involved in developing the JavaHelp software? JavaHelp software is being developed using an open, industry-participative process. Information designers, software developers and licensees are encouraged to participate in the development and evolution of JavaHelp by reviewing and sending feedback to javahelp-comments@eng.sun.com. For more information about the Sun's open development process, see java.sun.com/aboutJava/standardization/. How does the JavaHelp software differ from other Java-based help formats? JavaHelp software is an industrial strength, industry-supported help system designed for the Java Platform. JavaHelp software offers a rich feature set, including context sensitive help, extensibility, merging and many other features. Hence, developers are ensured that the JavaHelp system is easily integrated into their Java applications and that it has widespread industry support, including tool vendors. Sun's Java Workshop help and JMAPI help are customized Java-based help system designed specifically for use within their respective products. Both Java Workshop and JMAPI plan to migrate to the JavaHelp system in future releases. Oracle Help for Java is a proprietary help format that is designed for Oracle applications. CreativeSoft's Jelp is a tool that translates WinHelp to a proprietary Java-based help system. CreativeSoft has announced plans to support JavaHelp in a future release. Is the JavaHelp software 100% Pure JavaTM? The 100% Pure JavaTM is a certification program that acts as a quality assurance seal of approval that an application is completely written in the Java language and can run on any JRE-supported platform. The JavaHelp implementation is written entirely in the Java language using JFC components and architecture, and is 100% Pure Java certified. Can the JavaHelp software run in a non-Java application, such as a C++ application? Yes, the JavaHelp software can provide help for applications written in languages other than the Java language. This is possible by through the use of a help server. What areas of the JavaHelp specification would be of interest to authors? The JavaHelp specification is written primarily from the developer's perspective. However, the following sections may be of particular interest to authors:
What does it mean for JavaHelp software to be a Standard Extension? As a standard extension, the JavaHelp software will be delivered separately from the JDK to enable faster upgrades that incorporate new features and bug fixes while maintaining ease in integrating with JDK 1.1 and 1.2. Standard Extensions are packages of Java classes that application developers can use to extend the functionality of the core platform. JDK 1.2 provides an extension mechanism that allows the Java virtual machine* (VM) to use the extension classes in much the same way as the VM uses the (core) system classes. What versions of the JDK will the JavaHelp software support? The JavaHelp software now supports both JDK 1.1 and JDK 1.2. Support for JDK 1.1 has been added in response to feedback from many customers needing online help for JDK 1.1 applications. Although JDK 1.1 is in wider use, JDK 1.2 is fundamentally a better platform offering many advantageous features for the JavaHelp software, including:
What version of Swing does the JavaHelp software support? The JavaHelp software supports Swing 1.1. Is there a licensing fee for the JavaHelp software? No. The shipping release of JavaHelp software will be distributable royalty free with your product. What are the user requirements for running the JavaHelp software? The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is needed to run the JavaHelp system. For applications, this should not be an issue for users, as the developer will provide the classes along with the proper JRE in the application. For browser-based applications, if the browser does not already support the proper JRE, Sun's Project Java Activator (see java.sun.com/products/plugin/) can be used for Internet Explorer 3.02 or later and Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later to provide the latest JRE.
In what way can I customize and extend the JavaHelp system? The JavaHelp system is designed to be flexible and extensible. It allows custom or third-party navigational controls, search engines, and content viewers to be added. Additional functionality can be added using JComponents. Does the JavaHelp viewer support JavaScript or other web technologies? The JavaHelp HTML-based viewer will support Swing JComponents for adding additional functionality to the content pane. At this point, the JavaHelp HTML viewer does not support JavaScript. However, a more sophisticated viewer may be substituted to support these technologies. Does JavaHelp software support pop-ups? Pop-ups will be provided as a feature in the JavaHelp system. Will the JavaHelp software support internationalization? Yes. JavaHelp software can take advantage of the JDK 1.2 internationalization support to provide full I18N support. Localization of help content, indexes, and table of contents is supported and are loaded in a locale specific way. Will the JavaHelp system run in Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer browsers? The JavaHelp system can run on any browser that supports JRE 1.1 or 1.2. If the JRE is not available on Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer, Sun's Java Plug-in can be used to specify the latest JDK software rather than the default Java Virtual Machine provided by the browser. For more information on how the Java Plug-in works, see java.sun.com/products/plugin/. The Mac installation files don't work on my Mac. The Mac installers built with InstallAnywhere are created in MacBinary format so they can be easily transported to different operating systems. However, this means that the installers cannot be run directly by double-clicking on them; they need to be "de-MacBinaried" first via a tool like StuffitExpander 4.5. *As used on this web site, the terms "Java virtual machine" or "JVM" mean a virtual machine for the Java platform.
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