HTML Authoring and Conversion Tools

Dreamweaver

Price: approx. €535

http://www.adobe.com

Microsoft Expression Web

Price: approx. $149

http://www.microsoft.com

Sitoo

Price: approx. $599

http://www.sitoo.com

XSitePro

Price: approx. $197

http://www.xsitepro.com

WebPlus

Price: approx. €100

http://www.serif.com/webplus/

NetObjects Fusion

Price: approx. €90

http://netobjects.com

Namo WebEditor

Price: approx. $79

http://www.namo.com

Website Realizer

Price: approx. $60

http://www.websiterealizer.com

Web Page Maker

Easy-to-use web page editor that allows you to create web pages without having to know HTML. No HTML code control but possibility to insert HTML code snippets.

Price: approx. $49

http://www.webpage-maker.com

WYSIWYG Web Builder

Powerful visual web page editor. No HTML code control, but HTML code snippets can be inserted.

Price: approx. $45

http://www.wysiwygwebbuilder.com

KompoZer

Complete WYSIWYG web authoring application with WYSIWYG mode, preview mode, HTML mode, tag mode, plus an integrated CSS editor.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://kompozer.net

Maqetta

Visual, browser-based editor for HTML5 user interfaces.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://maqetta.org

Amaya

W3C’s editor and browser. Integrates editing and browsing functions into one application.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://www.w3.org/Amaya/

BlueGriffon

Price: basic version free (Open Source) plus commercial plug-ins (approx. €35)

http://www.bluegriffon.org

Firebug

Firefox plugin that lets you edit, debug and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://getfirebug.com

Simple CSS

Visual CSS2 editor.

Price: free (Freeware)

http://www.hostm.com/css/

Notepad++

Advanced code and text editor. To meet specific requirements, there are many specialized plugins available.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net

UltraEdit

Editor for text, XML, HTML, PHP, Java, Javascript, Perl, and other programming languages. Can also be used for comparing files, for advanced find and replace operations, and much more.

Price: approx. $60

http://www.ultraedit.com

jQuery

JavaScript library that can be used to add advanced effects and elements to HTML pages with little effort.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://jquery.com

http://jqueryui.com

MooTools

Price: free (Open Source)

http://mootools.net

YUI Library

Price: free (Open Source)

http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/

Dojo

Price: free (Open Source)

http://dojotoolkit.org

script.aculo.us

Price: free (Open Source)

http://script.aculo.us

Embedded help system

jQuery plug-in that adds animated "Show me" help to web pages.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://embedded-help.net

Guiders-JS

JavaScript library for taking a user step by step through a web application (guided tour), and for adding embedded help to a web application.

Price: free (Open Source)

https://github.com/jeff-optimizely/Guiders-JS

ImageMapster

jQuery plugin to add various dynamic effects to image maps, such as automatic mouseover highlighting, floating tooltips, and more.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://www.outsharked.com/imagemapster/

grumble.js

jQuery plugin to that adds 360° rotatable bubble-style tooltips. Bulles are autosizing and also choose rotation automatically.

Price: free (Open Source)

https://github.com/jamescryer/grumble.js

Some online CSS generators:

Price: free (Web Applications)

http://www.css3.me

http://css3button.net

http://css3buttongenerator.com

http://www.cssbuttongenerator.com

keyscss

Stylesheet for rendering keys. Great for documenting keyboard shortcuts, for example.

Price: free (Open Source)

https://github.com/michaelhue/keyscss

MSHC Migrate Utility

Converts older help projects over to MS Help 3.

Price: free

http://mshcmigrate.helpmvp.com

chm2web

Flexible CHM to HTML converter. Converts existing help files that are in CHM format into full-featured, browser-based, platform-independent help systems.

Price: approx. €70 (Standard) and €130 (Pro).

http://chm2web.aklabs.com

HelpTron Converters

CHM To PDF Converter: Makes a PDF (including table of contents) from a CHM file.
HTML To PDF Converter: Does the same as CHM To PDF Converter for plain HTML files.

Price: approx. €180

http://www.theta-software.com

Dawningsoft Converters

Provide a number of basic converting tools for Microsoft Word into CHM, PDF into CHM, and vice versa.

Price: approx. $25 up to $50

http://www.dawningsoft.com

PDFreactor

Automatically creates PDF files from HTML and XML input. Seamlessly integrates into ERP, database and e-commerce solutions as well as portals and web sites.

Price: approx. €2250

http://www.realobjects.com

CHM-2-Word Converter

Converts CHM files into Word documents. Keeps the format, including images and tables.

Price: approx. $99 (Standard) and $199 (Professional)

http://www.macrobject.com

ABC Amber CHM Converter

Batch decompiler for CHM files. Transforms CHM files into PDF, RTF, HTML, DOC, HLP, TXT, DBF, XML, CSV, XLS, MDB and others. Creates the contents with bookmarks (in PDF, RTF, DOC and HTML), extracts pictures, keeps hyperlinks and the structure of the CHM files.

Price: approx. $20

http://www.processtext.com/abcchm.html

HTML Executable

Creates stand-alone desktop EXE applications from websites or from any group of HTML pages and linked media files. Can for example be used to convert browser-based help into an executable.

Price: approx. €77 (Professional Edition) and €125 (Commercial Edition)

http://www.htmlexe.com

Softany CHM to PDF Converter

Converts CHM files into PDF files with cover, table of contents, header, footer, page number, etc.

Price: approx. $49

http://www.softany.com

HTML Help Workshop

Microsoft’s compiler and basic editing tool for the compiled Microsoft help format (CHM).

Price: free (Freeware)

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/ (search for “help workshop”)

FAR HTML

Well-known toolbox, especially designed for those who create HTML help with a standard HTML editor. The collection also contains tools to test and to decompile CHM files.

Price: approx. $72

http://www.helpware.net

chmProcessor

Generates compiled help (CHM), JavaHelp, or browser-based HTML help Microsoft Word files or HTML files. Splits the documents by title formats.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://chmprocessor.sourceforge.net

Precision Helper

Compiles a full-featured CHM file from a sets of HTML files. Can also be used to create basic browser based help from the same set of files, and to merge several HTML files into one singe HTML file. This single HTML file can then be imported into a text processor to create a printed user manual from the same source. Clear, modern user interface. Support for context-sensitive help and index keywords. Various helpful project management features.

Price: free (Freeware)

http://www.be-precision.com

CHM Maker

Compiles a set of HTML files into one structured CHM file, including table of contents, index and full text search. An advanced key phrase detection engine automatically collects keywords from phrases. No support for context sensitivity.

Price: approx. $49

http://www.abeetech.com

HelpSetMaker

Creates JavaHelp help sets, HTML files and LaTeX source code. For Windows, Linux, Mac OS.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://sourceforge.net/projects/helpsetmaker/

AurigaDoc

Java-xml-xsl-based documentation tool for writing xml documents and converting them to other open formats like HTML, DHTML, PDF, PostScript, FO, RTF, Java Help and HTML Help (CHM). For Windows and Linux.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://aurigadoc.sourceforge.net

InstallJammer

Not a help compiler but a flexible multiplatform GUI installer. Can be used to deploy browser based help easily.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://www.installjammer.com

Some specialized indexing tools

Most help authoring tools and other technical writing tools allow you to add index entries easily. If, however, you create HTML pages manually, or if you want to used advanced indexing features, the following indexing tools may be helpful.

http://www.html-indexer.com

http://www.indexres.com

http://www.sky-software.com

http://www.editorium.com/dexter.htm

http://www.emdex.ca

http://www.fsatools.com

http://www.levtechinc.com

http://www.macrex.com

Vantage Linguistics

Provide several linguistic search and checking products such as the AnswerWorks SDK.

Prices: upon request

http://www.vantagesoftwaretechnologies.com