“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…”
Related Story:
TechWR-L:
A Tech Writer’s Guide to the Open Source Movement (Part 2)(Jul
30, 2000)