Introduction

Most interactive applications require online help and Java applications are no exception. The JavaHelp^TM system is specifically tailored to the Java^TM platform. The JavaHelp system provides developers and authors a standard, fully-featured, easy-to-use system for presenting online information to Java application users. Providing a help system that is a standard extension to the Java^TM 2 Software Development Kit, Standard Edition (the J2SE^TM SDK), relieves developers and authors of having to implement their own proprietary help systems.

The JavaHelp system consists of a fully featured, extensible specification and API, and a reference implementation of that specification and API that is written entirely in the Java language.

• The JavaHelp reference implementation, based on the Java Foundation Classes (JFC, also known as Swing), provides a standard interface that enables both application developers and authors to add online help to their applications.
• The specification and API enable developers to customize and extend the help system to fit the style and requirements of their applications.

In addition, the JavaHelp system has been designed to work especially well in a variety of network environments. The JavaHelp system is platform independent and works in all browsers that support the Java platform.

The JavaHelp system enables Java developers to provide online help for:

• Applications (both applet and standalone)
• JavaBeans^TM components
• Applets in HTML pages
• Server-based Java applications

Authoring support for the JavaHelp system is available through online help authoring tool vendors. Tool vendors, including Software 7, Quadralay, eHelp, Brown Inc, Paradigm Systems, SolutionSoft, ComponentOne, and Oracle, have products that provide authoring support for the JavaHelp system.

Next Overview Topic: JavaHelp System Features