> >> And I echo your sentiments on HTML. One of my pet hates is the HTML
> >> based help files that have invaded Windows programs these days.
> >
> >You meant browser based or compiled (.CHM)?
> 
> Umm, both really. CHM has as bad a printing problem as HTML.
> 
> >I sort-of like .CHM, I can write the manual in Word, and generate
> >a .CHM from it.
> >
> >The headings are used to create the various sections of the CHM, and
> >you reference those from your application to open the .CHM at the
> >right section. It won't work if you didn't understand what the
> >'outline view' Wouter mentioned earlier is.
> 
> But do I need to understand it, as a user, rather than a writer?


I can't recall ever printing a .CHM, but then again I'm not a big fan of
printers.

Outline view is really handy, it displays the document as a hierarchy,
different heading are assigned a level number from 1-9 (same as HTML).  You
can control the depth shown (Word < 2007 did it better with the 123456789
control) to hide the body text, view major headings only, or how many levels
of sub-heading you want to see.  It works the same as folder view in
explorer (or table of contents).

The best bit is you can reorganise your document by dragging the headings
about.  If you have a large book, you can set it so just the chapter heading
are showing, then you can grab chapter 29, and drag it up before chapter 15.
Everything in chapter 29 will move with it, it much faster than cut-n-paste.
Chapter 30 stays where it is.  (With autonumber the chapter # will update
automagically).  

You can promote and demote as well.  Say chapter 29 has a large chunk (with
a subheading) that's worthy of being a chapter on its own.  You select the
chapter, and either hit - (+?) or drag it to the left, so a level 2 heading
becomes a level 1 (ie a chapter), and any sub-headings it may have go up as
well.  Their formatting also changes based on the styles set.

If you demote chapter 29, it will then become a sub-section of chapter 28.
Promoting reverses that.

Scriptwriters love it, they can write the shell of their script, and then
'fill in the bits' later.

Careful when printing - it'll print -just- the outline, not the whole
document.

Tony

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