HelpNDoc’s build system is a robust and versatile component that empowers technical writers to generate documentation projects in a wide array of output formats. With support for formats such as CHM, HTML, Word, PDF, ePub, Kindle, Qt Help, and Markdown, HelpNDoc provides comprehensive options to suit diverse distribution channels and target platforms. Notably, the build system allows users to create multiple builds within each output format, enabling an unlimited number of customized variations.
In this article, we'll delve into how you can harness HelpNDoc's override features to empower your technical writing process. We'll explore project options overrides, variable overrides, style overrides, and template settings overrides, all of which contribute to the tool's ability to produce a myriad of documentation variations. By the end, you'll have a thorough understanding of how to leverage these features to create customized, purpose-built documentation every time.
Step 1 Place the cover picture you’d like to use in your library. It’s recommended that you use a .jpg or .png that is either 600x800 or 300x400 pixels.
See: How to add an item to the library Step 2 Click the top half of the Generate help button in the Home ribbon tab.
This displays the ‘Generate documentation’ window. Step 3 Select the ePub or Mobi/Kindle build you’d like to modify in the build list.
Step 1: Define HTML setting Click the top half of Generate help in the Home ribbon tab. This displays the ‘Generate Documentation’ window.
Select the HTML build to modify in the build list on the left-hand side.
If the Template settings tab is not displayed, click Customize to view it. Click the ‘Expand table of contents tree’ box to remove the check mark.
This will generate your documentation in HTML format with a collapsed table of contents.
There are two simple steps for creating a new publishing output.
Step 1 Click the top half of Generate help in the Home ribbon tab. This displays the Generate Documentation window.
Each output and its format is listed along the left-hand side in your build list.
The outputs with check marks will be published the next time you generate the documentation from your build list. Step 2 In this next step you’ll select the format for your new output.
To access the settings HelpNDoc uses to publish documentation, click the top half of Generate help in the Home ribbon tab. This displays the Generate Documentation window.
Your builds are listed along the left-hand side in your build list.
To view the settings for a build, click its name. This highlights that build and displays its current output file and template.
The steps for maintaining the output file and template as well as the settings for the output are outlined below.
There are two simple steps for deleting an obsolete output.
Step 1 Click the top half of Generate help in the Home ribbon tab.
This displays the Generate Documentation window.
All of your outputs are listed along the left-hand side in your build list. Step 2 Next, you’ll select the output that you’d like to delete. There are two ways to do this:
Option 1 Click the build that you’d like to remove.
Step 1 - Download the installer In HelpNDoc, click File then select Options. This displays the ‘HelpNDoc Options’ window.
Click Download to the right of the ‘Amazon KindleGen’ path to download the installation software from Amazon’s web-site.
Alternatively, it can be downloaded from: kindlegen_win32_v2_9.zip
Step 2 - Unzip the compiler Using your favorite compression software, unzip the newly downloaded KindleGen to a location of your choice. Step 3 - Complete the setup Return to the ‘HelpNDoc Options’ window.
Step 1 - Download the installer In HelpNDoc, click File then select Options. This displays the ‘HelpNDoc Options’ window.
Click Download to the right of ‘Microsoft HTML Help Workshop’ path to download the installation software from Microsoft’s web-site.
Alternatively, it can be downloaded from: Microsoft HTML Help Workshop
This will download the htmlhelp.exe software installer.
Step 2 - Install Microsoft HTML Help Workshop Run the htmlhelp.exe software you’ve downloaded.
There are two steps to managing the status of your builds.
Step 1 Click the top half of Generate help in the Home ribbon tab.
This displays the Generate Documentation window.
Your builds are listed along the left-hand side in your build list. Step 2 The check marks next to your builds indicates which builds would be published the next time you generate documentation using your build list. If a build does not have a check mark, it would not be generated.
After you’ve completed your documentation, you can activate encryption and generate a password-protected PDF Document in three easy steps:
Step 1: Generate help Click the top half of the Generate help button in the Home ribbon tab. Step 2: Select a PDF build This displays the ‘Generate Documentation’ window.
The builds created for this project are listed along the left-hand side in your build list. Click a PDF build to access its settings.
