I want to create a help documentation. Please recommend which route/method to go with.

[rain4u]

Hi

I'm creating bunch macros that myself and my colleagues can use at work. I was thinking that once I have finished the macros it would be nice gesture to include some documentation/tutorial together with the tools. This way the supporting documentation would allow the users to learn how to operate the tool(s) or get some help if they struggle to remember something, etc. At my work I have some older colleagues who aren't very computer literate (hence why I'm trying create some macros to help them in first place).
So far I have always gone the extra mile by trying to create simple, logical and nice looking user interfaces (macro buttons, drop down menus, etc) to make things easy as possible for the less experienced users. I really take pride in everything that I do (on VBA side excelforums.com has been massive help for me ) and I like if everything looks nice/cool but professional.

In certain areas I do have some notes/comments already within the spreadsheet itself but I feel that there is quite a lot of information that I would like to pass via tutorial/help documentation. In your opinion what is the best route to go down with:

1. Should I just create .PDF or .doc tutorials, or would it be worth while to look into creating a .CHM help file (though my already basic HTML language is quite rusty)?
2. What would be the benefit to choose your recommended option?
3. Or are there some other options that I didn't think of?

My only requirement would be that the supporting documentation should be accessible via macro button to keep things easy for the user (e.g. the help file will be in a same folder as the .xls file, and VBA could open it).


Any ideas or recommendations are much welcome.
Cheers

[abousetta]

Hi,

I have found both PDFs with screenshots (with comments, red circles, etc.) helpful especially for step by step procedures. CHM files are great for more details. Video files (maybe placed on a server) or YouTube is another way to 'show' them how to work through the macro.

Good luck and I am happy to hear that you are helping others with your knowledge.

abousetta

[rain4u]

Thank you for the feedback.
I suppose with PDF vs DOC - - - PDF should be my choice as it does not allow anyone to alter it (accidentally delete information). As I have never compiled PDF document myself I'm not familiar how easy or hard it may be.
Is there some software (free or non-free software) that would help to create a nice support document. A software that would help me to create a structure in terms of table of contents, automatic hyperlinks to each section, header logo on each page, page numbers, would allow to add red circles, arrows, text boxes, comments, etc? I suppose there are solutions that would allow you to convert DOC to PDF but I would love to use something that would create the structure (e.i. table of contents with hyperlinks, so if I would add some stuff, things wouldn't get messed up and I wouldn't have re-do everything).

Great idea with making a video tutorial. Again any recommendation is welcome for a software that would allow you to create something in painless fashion. Has anyone had any personal experience. I know I have seen very professionally made video tutorials on youtube where the cursor is nicely highlighted, text/comments appear on the screen, mouse click sound effects etc. I have always wondered how people create these and how easy it is to so something like this. The video format should be something that every XP user can view so I could share it on the shared network hard-drive. The company where I work has blocked all access to Youtube. I suppose this to keep us productive
On a side note is it possible to add link to PDF to access video file. Let's say at the bottom of the PDF document there would be a link to video file that is within the same folder as the PDF file itself.


Regards CHM files, do guys think that average Joe would find easier to use help file or PDF? Essentially what I'm thinking is that if I should go down the the CHM route, it would probably take a lot of my time as I'm rusty with HTML. Do people even find easy to use help files? Unless there is a clear benfit with CHM, then I'm leaning more towards PDF solution.

[abousetta]

I personally have experience no creating video tutorials or CHM files, but I have played around with the former out of fun rather than anything professional. There are lots of free options for making videos (screen capture) and editing (e.g. MS Movie Maker). Most common formats will play in Windows Media Player and so I don't anticipate this being the problem. I know that there are pro programs out there but they could cost you a pretty penny. You might be able to use trial versions of these paid programs to get you started.

As for a manual, I would suggest creating it in MS Word, with links to media files, cross-links within the same document and link to websites, etc. for additional help. If you cross-link then you can automatically create the table of contents and the links are preserved when converting to a PDF. There is a really nice, free PDF creator (I think its called PDF creator) that I have used before to help another poster. If you have access to Office 2010, it has a built-in PDF converter.

[rain4u]

Thank you abousetta.
I will start to play around with things and see where it gets me.
Cheers

[DmitriPopov]

Sorry for my ugly self-promotion but I just couldn't keep my mouth shut
My own cherished child - help authoring tool named Helpinator has built-in tutorial maker so you can combine step-by-step tutorials with regular topic-oriented authoring approach and compile CHM and PDF/Word files from the same source.
It's not an ad, just an advice so here will be no links. You can find it easily if you are interested, sorry again for interrupting you