"At first, looking for free and open source software (FOSS) tools to generate Windows Help files seems an oxymoron. 'Most open source projects are intended to help people break out of Microsoft's grip, rather than break in,' one poster responded when I queried about the topic on the technical writers' mailing list. Yet, surprisingly, free Help Authoring Tools (HAT) do exist. The trouble is that some require expertise beyond that of those most likely to use them, and none can match the features or ease of use of major proprietary programs. As a result, none of the three applications I unearthed--AurigaDoc, export from DocBook, and HelpMaker--is completely satisfactory..."
