Oracle Help - Revision history

Effect2: Basically disproved that speculation on new evidence

2020-12-18T09:24:25Z

Basically disproved that speculation on new evidence

Effect2: Speculation on relationship with JavaHelp - "It is possible that..."

2020-12-18T09:15:50Z

Speculation on relationship with JavaHelp - "It is possible that..."

Effect2: Created page with "{{FormatInfo |formattype=electronic |subcat=Help files |extensions={{ext|hs}}, {{ext|xml}}, {{ext|toc}}, {{ext|tok}}, {{ext|idx}} |released=≤2001https://web.archive.org..."

2020-12-18T09:09:32Z

Created page with "{{FormatInfo |formattype=electronic |subcat=Help files |extensions={{ext|hs}}, {{ext|xml}}, {{ext|toc}}, {{ext|tok}}, {{ext|idx}} |released=≤2001<ref>https://web.archive.org..."

New page

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Help files
|extensions={{ext|hs}}, {{ext|xml}}, {{ext|toc}}, {{ext|tok}}, {{ext|idx}}
|released=≤2001<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20010129073900/http://www.ehelp.com/RoboHelp/web/oraclehelp.shtm</ref>
}}
'''Oracle Help''' is a help "system" consisting of a common format, and software for two modes of playback: '''Oracle Java Help''', a help viewer embedded in a [[Java]] program; and '''Oracle Web Help''', a help viewer that serves pages over [[HTTP]]. Oracle Help's format appears to have been based on that of [[JavaHelp]], though curiously it was released long before Sun (the creator of JavaHelp) was bought by Oracle.

The formats a single "HelpSet" uses include:
* HelpSet file, extension ".hs", which provides metadata about the whole help set, and the names of other files;<ref>https://docs.oracle.com/middleware/1213/jdev/develop-help/orahelp-metadata-files.htm#CACJACAB</ref>
* map files, [[XML]] files (with the extension .xml<ref>https://docs.oracle.com/middleware/1213/jdev/develop-help/orahelp-metadata-files.htm, section 5.2.3, example</ref>) that map topic IDs (strings identifying individual help topics) to HTML content files;
* table of contents files, extension .xml<ref>https://docs.oracle.com/middleware/1213/jdev/develop-help/orahelp-metadata-files.htm, section 5.2.6, following "If both of the labels were the same"</ref>, though and "old [relative to 2011] version" had extension .toc<ref name="oldext">https://web.archive.org/web/20110418143359/http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/faq-099989.html, "How do I convert help files created in other authoring systems to Oracle Help format?"</ref>, which give tables of contents;
* index files, extension .xml<ref name="oldext" />, .tok for the "old version"<ref name="oldext" />, which give (human-readable) indexes;
* search index files, in "a proprietary binary format"<ref>https://docs.oracle.com/middleware/1213/jdev/develop-help/orahelp-helpinfo-files.htm, section 6.5</ref> with extension ".idx"<ref>https://docs.oracle.com/middleware/1213/jdev/develop-help/orahelp-text-search-index.htm</ref> that stores a text search index, and is generated by a program distributed with Oracle Help<ref>https://docs.oracle.com/middleware/1213/jdev/develop-help/orahelp-text-search-index.htm</ref>;
* link files, similar to map files, but which map link IDs (aliases used in the targets of links on content pages, in lieu of actual destination file names) to topic IDs (which are in turn mapped to content files)<ref>https://docs.oracle.com/middleware/1213/jdev/develop-help/orahelp-helpinfo-files.htm, section 6.6</ref>
* the "topic files", [[HTML]] files that hold the actual content of the help<ref>https://docs.oracle.com/middleware/1213/jdev/develop-help/orahelp-topic-files.htm</ref>.

== Specifications ==
* [https://docs.oracle.com/middleware/1213/jdev/develop-help/orahelp-file-formats.htm Format specification in the v. 12.1.3 manual]

== Links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100810203237/http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/index-083946.html Website] (2010-2018)
** [https://docs.oracle.com/middleware/1213/jdev/develop-help/ Manual for v. 12.1.3]
* [https://www.oracle.com/application-development/technologies/help/web-applications.html Website] (Current, as of 2020)

== See Also ==
* [[JavaHelp]]
* [[CHM]]

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Oracle]]
[[Category:XML based file formats]]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 |released=≤2001<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20010129073900/http://www.ehelp.com/RoboHelp/web/oraclehelp.shtm</ref>
 }}
-'''Oracle Help''' is a help "system" consisting of a common format, and software for two modes of playback: '''Oracle Java Help''', a help viewer embedded in a [[Java]] program; and '''Oracle Web Help''', a help viewer that serves pages over [[HTTP]]. Oracle Help's format appears to have been based on that of [[JavaHelp]], though curiously it was released long before Sun (the creator of JavaHelp) was bought by Oracle. It is possible that it was originally completely different (perhaps explaining the "old version" referenced in some documentation), and was made to resemble JavaHelp after Sun was acquired.
+'''Oracle Help''' is a help "system" consisting of a common format, and software for two modes of playback: '''Oracle Java Help''', a help viewer embedded in a [[Java]] program; and '''Oracle Web Help''', a help viewer that serves pages over [[HTTP]]. Oracle Help's format appears to have been, from its early days<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20010208114209/http://www.ehelp.com/RoboHELP/products/formatcomparison.shtm</ref>, based on that of [[JavaHelp]], though curiously it was released long before Sun (the creator of JavaHelp) was bought by Oracle.
 The formats a single "HelpSet" uses include: