A Help authoring tool or HAT is a software program used by technical writers to create online Help.
Some common Help authoring tools include:
- Adobe FrameMaker: The most common tool for large technical documents.
- Macromedia RoboHelp: A specialized tool for creating online help.
- Microsoft Word: Widely used for technical writing despite its limitations.
- Epic Editor: An XML-based authoring tool.
- Microsoft Visio: Software for creating diagrams.
- Webworks Publisher: Converts documents in various formats to other formats, primarily HTML.
Technical writers also use content management systems and version control systems to manage their work.