Creating PDF Online Help With OpenOffice Writer and Its PDF Feature

A friend emailed me asking about templates for creating online help like you usually get by pressing F1. I didn't know of any, though I suspect that if you found one in Word, it would work OK in Writer.

That got me thinking about the PDF function, though. You can use the built-in ability to link to different headings and fields, and the PDF output function, not to mention the easy automatic hotlinked table of contents feature, to make some very nice PDF online help. Heck, with a little hacking you could be single-sourcing your online help and manual documentation.

My main point here, though, is to provide a template with which anyone can easily start making online help.  So I've posted various tools.

• A semi-empty template you can start using immediately. Right-click on the link for this and choose to save it, rather than clicking on the link to open it.
• The same document containing sample text and detailed instructions, in document rather than template format.  Right-click on the link for this and choose to save it, rather than clicking on the link to open it.
• A PDF of the same document

Essentially, you just:

• Use the styles Heading1 on down on the headings of each of your help topics

• Use the Insert > Hyperlink feature or the Hyperlink icon to link to various points within your document. You can link to any text that has a heading style applied to it, to graphics, tables, bookmarks, etc.
• Update the TOC when you change anything, and it'll automatically show everything correctly.
• Choose File > Export as PDF when you're ready to produce.

And that's all.

 

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