<s>
Online	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
is	O
topic-oriented	O
,	O
procedural	O
or	O
reference	O
information	O
delivered	O
through	O
computer	B-Application
software	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
purpose	O
of	O
most	O
online	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
is	O
to	O
assist	O
in	O
using	O
a	O
software	B-Application
application	I-Application
,	O
web	B-Application
application	I-Application
or	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Online	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
linked	O
to	O
the	O
application	O
's	O
state	O
(	O
what	O
the	O
user	O
is	O
doing	O
)	O
is	O
called	O
Context-sensitive	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Online	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
has	O
largely	O
replaced	O
live	O
customer	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
companies	O
can	O
afford	O
this	O
kind	O
of	O
help	B-Protocol
system	I-Protocol
,	O
allowing	O
them	O
to	O
compete	O
with	O
the	O
larger	O
companies	O
more	O
effectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Online	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
is	O
created	O
using	O
help	B-Protocol
authoring	I-Protocol
tools	I-Protocol
or	O
component	B-Language
content	I-Language
management	I-Language
systems	I-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
delivered	O
in	O
a	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
formats	O
,	O
some	O
proprietary	B-Application
and	O
some	O
open-standard	O
,	O
including	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Online	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
is	O
also	O
provided	O
via	O
live	B-Protocol
chat	I-Protocol
systems	O
,	O
one	O
step	O
removed	O
from	O
telephone	O
calls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Open	O
Source	O
tool	O
DocBook	B-Language
XSL	I-Language
can	O
also	O
generate	O
help	B-Protocol
files	I-Protocol
and	O
is	O
a	O
resource	O
for	O
single	B-Application
source	I-Application
publishing	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
one	O
source	O
,	O
DocBook	B-Protocol
can	O
generate	O
PDF	B-Application
,	O
JavaHelp	B-Protocol
,	O
WebHelp	O
,	O
eBook	O
and	O
many	O
more	O
formats	O
(	O
even	O
.chm	B-Protocol
files	O
if	O
required	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
same	O
with	O
DITA	B-Language
,	O
which	O
is	O
even	O
favored	O
for	O
that	O
purpose	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
develops	O
the	O
platforms	O
for	O
delivering	O
help	B-Protocol
systems	I-Protocol
in	O
the	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Platform	O
name	O
Description	O
Public	O
?	O
Microsoft	O
QuickHelp	O
Ralph	O
Walden	O
joined	O
Microsoft	O
in	O
1987	O
and	O
wrote	O
an	O
online	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
system	B-Operating_System
for	O
MS-DOS	B-Application
and	O
OS/2	B-Application
called	O
QuickHelp	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
help	B-Protocol
command	O
Microsoft	O
WinHelp	O
(	O
.hlp	O
)	O
Based	O
on	O
the	O
Rich	O
Text	O
Format	O
,	O
this	O
was	O
the	O
industry	O
standard	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
3.1	I-Application
and	O
Windows	O
95/NT	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
popular	O
Windows	B-Application
Help	B-Protocol
program	O
(	O
WinHlp32.exe	O
)	O
was	O
included	O
with	O
all	O
Windows	B-Application
operating	I-Application
systems	I-Application
from	O
Windows	B-Application
3.0	I-Application
until	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
help	B-Protocol
engine	O
is	O
not	O
included	O
with	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
and	O
is	O
only	O
available	O
as	O
a	O
download.The	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
and	O
Windows	B-Application
Server	O
2008	O
Developer	O
Story	O
:	O
Application	O
Compatibility	O
Cookbook	O
§	O
"	O
Help	B-Protocol
Engine	O
Support	O
"	O
HTML	B-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
(	O
.chm	B-Protocol
)	O
Also	O
known	O
as	O
Microsoft	B-Protocol
Compiled	I-Protocol
HTML	I-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
(	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
its	O
file	O
format	O
)	O
,	O
it	O
based	O
on	O
HTML	B-Language
and	O
other	O
data	O
such	O
as	O
images	O
and	O
JavaScript	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
HTML	B-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
1.0	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2006	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
available	O
from	O
Microsoft	O
as	O
HTML	B-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
1.4	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Help	B-Protocol
and	O
Support	O
Center	O
A	O
deprecated	O
online	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
system	B-Operating_System
in	O
Windows	B-Device
Me	I-Device
and	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	B-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
(	O
.hxs	B-Protocol
)	O
In	O
2001	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
plans	O
for	O
a	O
wide	O
release	O
of	O
HTML	B-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
2.0	O
,	O
which	O
came	O
to	O
be	O
called	O
Microsoft	B-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
platform	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
and	O
shipped	O
in	O
2002	O
as	O
the	O
help	B-Protocol
format	O
for	O
Visual	O
Studio	O
.NET	B-Application
,	O
MSDN	O
Library	O
and	O
TechNet	O
products	O
,	O
but	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
it	O
had	O
cancelled	O
plans	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
format	O
publicly	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	B-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
was	O
also	O
used	O
as	O
the	O
help	B-Protocol
format	O
in	O
Office	B-Application
2007	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
AP	B-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
1.0	I-Protocol
(	O
.h1s	O
)	O
Assistance	O
Platform	O
Help	B-Protocol
is	O
based	O
on	O
Microsoft	B-Protocol
Assistance	I-Protocol
Markup	I-Protocol
Language	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
format	O
developed	O
for	O
and	O
shipped	O
with	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Version	O
2.0	O
of	O
the	O
Assistance	O
Platform	O
Help	B-Protocol
engine	O
is	O
currently	O
on	O
hold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Platform	O
name	O
Description	O
HelpConsole	O
(	O
local	O
HTML	B-Language
files	I-Language
or	O
web-based	B-Application
)	O
IIS	B-Application
based	O
system	B-Operating_System
,	O
with	O
a	O
standard	O
navigation	O
tree	O
and	O
content	O
area	O
,	O
viewable	O
with	O
a	O
web	B-Application
browser	I-Application
,	O
supports	O
JS	B-Language
,	O
Flash	B-Operating_System
(	O
now	O
deprecated	O
)	O
,	O
HTML5	B-Application
,	O
Embedded	O
presentations	O
etc.	O
,	O
Since	O
it	O
is	O
web-based	B-Application
,	O
it	O
works	O
on	O
Windows	B-Application
,	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
and	O
virtually	O
all	O
other	O
Operating	B-General_Concept
Systems	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
AmigaGuide	B-Operating_System
(	O
.guide	O
)	O
The	O
official	O
hypertext	O
document	O
file	O
format	O
designed	O
for	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
Help	B-Protocol
(	O
.HELP	O
)	O
Apple	O
Computer	O
's	O
proprietary	B-Application
help	B-Protocol
platform	O
for	O
the	O
Mac	O
OS	O
8.5	O
+	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
WebHelp	O
A	O
cross-platform	B-Operating_System
,	O
uncompiled	O
Help	B-Protocol
system	I-Protocol
that	O
can	O
run	O
on	O
most	O
browsers	B-Application
and	O
on	O
most	O
platforms	O
,	O
including	O
Windows	B-Application
,	O
UNIX	B-Application
,	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
Sun	B-Application
Solaris	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Macintosh	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sun	O
JavaHelp	B-Protocol
(	O
.js	B-Language
)	O
A	O
platform-independent	B-Operating_System
help	B-Protocol
system	I-Protocol
written	O
in	O
Java	B-Language
programming	I-Language
language	I-Language
by	O
Sun	O
Microsystems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
runs	O
on	O
almost	O
any	O
platform	O
and	O
browser	B-Application
that	O
supports	O
the	O
Java	B-Language
Runtime	O
Environment	O
(	O
JRE	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Oracle	B-Application
Help	B-Protocol
Two	O
formats	O
developed	O
by	O
the	B-Application
Oracle	I-Application
Corporation	I-Application
:	O
Oracle	B-Application
Help	B-Protocol
for	O
Java	B-Language
(	O
OHJ	O
)	O
and	O
Oracle	B-Application
Help	B-Protocol
for	O
Web	O
(	O
OHW	O
)	O
.Oracle	O
Help	B-Protocol
Technologies	O
Help	B-Protocol
library	O
(	O
.HLB	O
)	O
The	O
official	O
help	B-Protocol
file	I-Protocol
format	O
designed	O
for	O
VMS	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
DotNetHelp	O
A	O
new	O
Windows	B-Application
help	B-Protocol
format	O
,	O
as	O
an	O
alternative	O
to	O
the	O
.chm	B-Protocol
format	O
,	O
that	O
also	O
supports	O
.NET	B-Application
applications	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Texinfo	B-Application
(	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
info	O
"	O
)	O
The	O
official	O
documentation	O
system	B-Operating_System
for	O
the	B-Application
GNU	I-Application
project	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unix	B-Protocol
man	I-Protocol
pages	I-Protocol
The	O
standard	O
method	O
used	O
to	O
document	O
(	O
among	O
others	O
)	O
Unix	B-Application
programs	O
and	O
shell	B-Application
commands	O
,	O
System	B-Operating_System
and	O
Library	O
calls	O
,	O
Special	B-Application
files	I-Application
and	O
File	O
formats	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Information	B-Language
Presentation	I-Language
Facility	I-Language
(	O
IPF	O
)	O
The	O
help	B-Protocol
system	I-Protocol
used	O
by	O
IBM	O
's	O
OS/2	B-Application
system	B-Operating_System
,	O
eComStation	B-Device
and	O
ArcaOS	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
official	O
documentation	O
system	B-Operating_System
for	O
the	O
fpGUI	B-Language
Toolkit	I-Language
project	O
.	O
</s>
