User Assistance

Development Resources

If you are already a User Assistance developer, check out the development resources. For a high level description of the component, please see the overview.

User Assistance

The Platform User Assistance component provides the mechanisms for making the Eclipse applications easier to use. These mechanisms are made available throughout usage life cycle and include initial user experience (welcome), online documentation, dynamic help, search, cheat sheets, automation and samples.

The goal of this component is to make it easier for users to accomplish their tasks in Eclipse applications. While it includes the traditional book-based help system, increasing effort is spent towards bringing assistance closer to the user. Welcome, dynamic help view and cheat sheets are examples of user assistance vehicles that can be used that way.

Get Involved!

If you are interested in participating in the development of the User Assistance component, check out the developer's mailing list: platform-ua-dev@eclipse.org. Chat with people there about your problems and interests, and find out what you can do to help.

In particular, if you have experience programming the multiplicity of available HTML browsers, are interested in document search technologies, have worked with servlets and jsp's, would like to Eclipse-enable existing embedded browser controls, or are interested in evolving a tooling story targeted at Eclipse information developers, the User Assistance team would like to hear from you.

For more detailed information, check out the Development Resources.

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