Shared, dynamically customizable user documentation

• US 6,467,080 B1
• Filed: 06/24/1999
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hughes, Virginia W. Jr., Devine, Kathryn Willbrandt, Kilburn, Barbara Jean, Shough, David Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US09/339,557
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 717/3, 717/11, 717/100, 717/120, 717/123, 717/162, 717/174, 703/23, 345/866, 707/500, 707/511, 707/200
• US Class Current: 717/123
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A user-generated documentation integration system operates in conjunction with a software application created by a manufacturer and executable on a computer processor for the benefit of a user. A documentation repository or group of documentation repositories may be provided for storing user-generated documentation relating to the software application. The software application may also include a linker module that maintains a link to a documentation repository so a user may access the user-generated documentation from within the software application. The user-generated documentation may comprise user help files pertaining to the software application. The user help files may be accessed through a window available within the software application, which is adapted to display a listing of available user help files that are individually selectable from the listing by a user for presentation on a display device. In an illustrated example, the window is implemented as a program dialog box having a frame in which a listing of user help files is displayed, each of which may be selectively opened and viewed on a computer screen. Access to the user-generated documentation may be selectively filtered.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing shared, dynamically customizable documentation for use in a software application, the apparatus comprising:

a processor for executing instructions; and

a memory device having thereon modules of operational data and executables for execution by the processor, the modules comprising;

a software application generated by a manufacturer and executable by the processor for the benefit of a user;

a documentation repository adapted to contain user-generated documentation relating to the software application;

a documentation linker configured to access the documentation repository; and

an invocation control accessible from within the software application and executable by the processor to invoke the documentation linker responsive to a user so user-generated documentation contained within the documentation repository is available to a user from the software application with the use of the invocation control.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising user-generated documentation contained in the documentation repository, the user-generated documentation including user help files.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the invocation control comprises a window adapted to display a listing of available user help files, the user help files individually selectable from the listing by a user for presentation on a display device.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the documentation repository appears to a user to be seamlessly integral to the software application.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the documentation repository comprises a directory generated by an operating system and external to the software application.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the documentation repository resides on a network at a location remote from the software application.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the network is the Internet.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the documentation linker is adapted to provide access to the documentation repository residing on the network at the remote location in a seamless manner so the documentation repository appears to a user to be integral to the software application, the processor to invoke the user interface responsive to a user.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a collection module including a topic identifier adapted to identify user-generated documentation contained in the documentation repository.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the collection module further comprises a documentation repository selector adapted to enable a user to select a documentation repository from among a group of one or more documentation repositories.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a viewer module having one or more viewers adapted to display the user-generated documentation to a user, the collection module further comprising a viewer launcher configured to launch the one or more viewers.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the collection module further comprises a training module and training data configured to employ the user-generated documentation to provide training related to the software application to a user.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a filter module effective to selectively control access to the user-generated documentation contained in the documentation repository.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the filter module further comprises a security overlay configured to selectively grant access to the user-generated documentation to a user having rights to access the user-generated documentation.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the filter module further comprises a group assignor adapted to assign a user to a group of users having rights to access the user-generated documentation and an index adapted to track those users from the groups of users having rights to access the user-generated documentation.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the invocation control is also executable to invoke a standard help module configured to provide information to a user relating to the user-generated documentation.

17. A method for providing sharable, dynamically customizable software documentation, the method comprising:

providing a software application executable on a processor;

providing a documentation repository adapted to contain user-generated documentation;

placing the user-generated documentation within the documentation repository;

providing a user interface within the software application;

linking the user interface to the documentation repository; and

providing an invocation control accessible from the user interface and executable on the processor to invoke the user-generated documentation responsive to a user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the documentation repository comprises a directory generated by an operating system and external to the software application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the directory resides on a network at a location remote from the software application.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the network is the Internet.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

invoking the software application;

invoking the user interface;

selecting the user-generated documentation; and

accessing the user-generated documentation from the documentation repository and displaying the user-generated documentation on a display device for viewing by a user.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein selecting the user-generated documentation comprises:

providing a plurality of documentation repositories each containing a plurality of help files;

selecting a documentation repository from among the plurality of documentation repositories; and

selecting a help file from among the plurality of help files.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein accessing the user-generated documentation comprises:

providing a plurality of viewers adapted to display the plurality of help files;

providing a viewer launcher adapted to launch the plurality of viewers;

launching a viewer from among the plurality of viewers corresponding to a help file from among the plurality of help files; and

viewing the help file.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein invoking the user interface comprises designating a user-generated documentation option from within a menu of the software application, the user-generated documentation option being configured to concurrently invoke the user interface and a standard help program from within the software application.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing a training module adapted to employ the user-generated documentation to provide training relating to the software application to a user; and

displaying the user-generated documentation to a user under the control of the training module for training purposes.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

evaluating the effectiveness of training provided by administering an assessment.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing user documentation data suitable for use in creating the user-generated documentation;

invoking a documentation generation program;

generating a help file; and

saving the help file to the documentation repository.

28. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing user documentation data suitable for use in editing the user-generated documentation;

invoking a documentation generation program;

providing a help file;

editing the help file; and

saving the help file to the documentation repository.

29. The method of claim 17, further comprising filtering access to the user-generated documentation.

30. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a processor and embodying one or more instructions executable by the processor to perform a method for providing shared, dynamically customizable, software documentation, the method comprising:

providing a software application executable on a processor;

providing a user interface within the software application;

linking the user interface to a documentation repository adapted to contain user-generated documentation; and

providing an invocation control accessible from the user interface and executable on the processor to invoke the user interface responsive to a user.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the method farther comprises:

providing user-generated documentation relating to the software application;

placing the user-generated documentation into the documentation repository;

invoking the software application;

invoking the user interface;

selecting the user-generated documentation; and

accessing the user-generated documentation from the documentation repository and displaying the user-generated documentation on a display device for viewing by a user.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein invoking the user interface comprises designating a user-generated documentation option from within a menu of the software application, the user-generated documentation option being configured to concurrently invoke the user interface and a standard help program from within the software application.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein selecting the user-generated documentation comprises:

providing a plurality of documentation repositories each containing a plurality of help files;

selecting a documentation repository from among the plurality of documentation repositories; and

selecting a help file from among the plurality of help files.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein accessing the user-generated documentation comprises:

providing a plurality of viewers adapted to display the plurality of help files;

providing a viewer launcher adapted to launch the plurality of viewers;

launching a viewer from among the plurality of viewers corresponding to a help file from the plurality of help files; and

viewing the help file.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises:

providing a training module adapted to employ the user-generated documentation to provide training relating to the software application to a user; and

displaying the user-generated documentation to a user under the control of the training module for training purposes.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein displaying the training module further comprises:

evaluating the effectiveness of training provided by administering an assessment.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises:

providing user documentation data suitable for use in creating the user-generated documentation;

invoking a documentation generation program;

generating a help file; and

saving the help file to the documentation repository.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises:

providing user documentation data suitable for use in editing the user-generated documentation;

invoking a documentation generation program;

providing a help file;

editing the help file; and

saving the help file to the documentation repository.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises filtering access to the user-generated documentation.