Make a Help file

So I've got a fairly large VB program and I think it's time to make a help file for it. I've never written a help file and have no clue where to even start. Do I need an add-in tool? Any suggestions?

Many thanks in advance for any assistance!

--DB

You can use MS Help Workshop, it is good and free
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=00535334-c8a6-452f-9aa0-d597d16580cc&displaylang=en

you have to download program file htmlhelp.exe
and optionaly HelpDocs.zip for documentation

You'll also want an HTML editor of some sort. The built-in one works for small Help projects but can quickly feel confining.

I actually use Visual InterDev for this, mostly because (a.) I have it and (b.) I'm used to it and know where everything is (options, etc.) but it also works pretty well.

Take your time and don't get frustrated with Help Workshop. Like all tools it takes time to get to know it well, and its own Help often seems unhelpful.

Dear dilletante
Please tell me in detail how to make a help file with Visual InterDev.
Thanks in advance.

Always Believe In GOD!

All it can help you with is making the HTML pages that you import into Help Workshop. I just prefer it to the simpler HTML editing in Help Workshop itself.

All it can help you with is making the HTML pages...

You can use just about anything for that depending on what you like best. I use FrontPage (M$ Office) because of the syntax highlighting and keeping you tabbed in but i use notepad a lot too. Ive never used InterDev for HTML but i have used it for CSS.

For anything web based Notepad++ is a good program. It has syntax highlighting for just about everything

I use HelpMaker (http://sourceforge.net/projects/helpmaker/) which is free and easy to use. It can allows you to create the help files as well as context help related to the HelpContextID of controls in your project.