There are some additional tools you'll need to get in order to produce certain kinds of help titles. These tools are available online.

HTML Help Compilers

The necessary HTML Help compilers are freely available from Microsoft.

HTML Help Version 1

HTML Help 1 titles are the CHM files that most applications use for their help file format. This is the help technology used by MSDN prior to the release of Visual Studio.NET.

If you plan to create compiled Html Help 1 titles (CHM files), you will need to make sure you have Microsoft's HTML Help Workshop. This download includes the compiler capable of creating CHM help titles.

HTML Help Version 2

HTML Help 2 is the help technology the Visual Studio.NET 2002 and 2003, and current versions of MSDN use.

If you plan to create help titles that integrate with the VS.NET help system, you will need to download the Visual Studio Help Integration Kit (VSHIK). This download includes the compiler capable of creating HxS help titles.

Latex Compiler

If you intend to use the LaTeX documenter, you will need a compiler capable of generating dvi or pdf files. You can download a free one from http://www.miktex.org/.

Other Tools

H2Reg

Deploying compiled HTML Help 2 titles and integrating them into your customers Visual Studio.NET help system can be tricky. The VSHIK download includes detailed instructions on how to do this using Windows Installer and a set of merge modules that are part of the integration kit download.

An alternative method is to use the H2Reg utility from helpware.net.

H2Reg is a shareware executable that can be included in your help title deployment projects. It can be used to register help titles, and plug them into the VS.NET help system.

H2Reg uses an INI file to describe the help title and to control how it is registered and plugged into existing help collections. The VS.NET Documenter includes an option that will generate an H2Reg compatible INI file for your NDoc created HTML Help 2 titles.