Sparx Systems Forum

Enterprise Architect => Suggestions and Requests => Topic started by: Guillaume on March 11, 2016, 07:26:50 pm

Title: EA12.1 windows help file
Post by: Guillaume on March 11, 2016, 07:26:50 pm

Hi,

Since version 12.1, EA help is published in the web format. Whilst it lets you have access to an up to date version from Sparx website, the search feature is not as convenient as before.
The local version is a local copy of the web site.

Would it be possible to have the option to download a windows help file (CHM) so users can have this interface?

Thanks

Title: Re: EA12.1 windows help file
Post by: qwerty on March 11, 2016, 08:29:44 pm

+1 Though the chm format is really old-fashioned, the new online-version is much less user friendly.

q.

Title: Re: EA12.1 windows help file
Post by: Glassboy on March 14, 2016, 07:32:48 am

Given the security vulnerabilities that have surfaced for the CHM format over the last few years, it's better that it just quietly dies.  You could achieve the same result with a local PDF file.

The supplementary benefits would be being able to copy the offline help to non-windows platforms and view it with native tools.

Title: Re: EA12.1 windows help file
Post by: Paolo F Cantoni on March 14, 2016, 10:47:55 am

Quote from: qwerty on March 11, 2016, 08:29:44 pm

+1 Though the chm format is really old-fashioned, the new online-version is much less user friendly.

q.

Significantly less user friendly...  Maybe PDF is the way to go as suggested by Glassboy.  I keep a copy of the last chm around to actually find things...


Paolo

Title: Re: EA12.1 windows help file
Post by: skiwi on March 15, 2016, 10:15:22 am

Umm, actually http://www.sparxsystems.com/bin/EAUserGuide.msi
(from http://www.sparxsystems.com/products/ea/12.1/)

Title: Re: EA12.1 windows help file
Post by: Paolo F Cantoni on March 15, 2016, 10:27:13 am

Quote from: skiwi on March 15, 2016, 10:15:22 am

Umm, actually http://www.sparxsystems.com/bin/EAUserGuide.msi
(from http://www.sparxsystems.com/products/ea/12.1/)

That's just the local version of the on-line User Guide (which I DO use) - isn't it?  It is NO easier to search than the on-line one.  It is less useful to search than a PDF since you'll occasionally pick up HTML tags if you search directly with an editor.

I think the important thing that is missing is the curated navigation via the [Index] tab in the original CHM file.

If we had an Index function on the new file that would probably fix up most of my issues.

Paolo