To deliver help on multiple platforms, you need a solution that runs on all those platforms. This solution helps you avoid complications of each platform and allows you to deliver one solution that meets the needs on all your platforms. This common solution can save development time and effort.

ePublisher supports several Java-based help output formats, such as Eclipse Help, Oracle Help, and Sun JavaHelp, that provide a common solution for multiple platforms without JavaScript support. WebWorks Help and WebWorks Reverb also provide a cross-platform solution, but it requires JavaScript support. If you are delivering a Java-based application, or if your environment does not support JavaScript, a Java-based help solution can help you deliver your help content.

The Eclipse Help format uses a Java-based delivery environment to provide a comprehensive help viewer. Eclipse Help delivers content in HTML files and uses an XML-based table of contents. Once you install the Eclipse platform, you can view Eclipse Help files. ePublisher provides a standalone viewer for Eclipse Help so you can develop and view your Eclipse Help.

Eclipse Help requires the Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE), which makes it a good output format choice for products that already install and use the IDE. For more information about Eclipse Help, see the Eclipse SDK documentation at: help.eclipse.org/help33/index.jsp?topic=/org.eclipse.platform.doc.isv/guide/ua_help.htm.

You can also use Eclipse Help to deliver an Infocenter. You can use all the supported input formats to develop content for an Infocenter. Then, ePublisher allows you to publish that content in the required format. For more information about creating an Infocenter, see dita.xml.org/wiki/setting-up-the-eclipse-help-infocenter-for-publishing-dita-content.