iWeb Compiler 32
http://www.webcompiler.com/

$149US or 99 pounds sterling.

Like E-ditor Pro, WebCompiler is an HTML Compiler, and if it wasn't for the price it would come top of our list.  It produces a slightly better looking end product than E-ditor Pro but isn't worth the extra money unless you're going to be producing lots of different ebooks and are confident of making plenty of sales.

Basically, WebCompiler 98 allows you to take a collection of HTML, either from a Web Site you already have or maybe HTML you prepared specially, and turn it into a single self-contained "executable" file that you can use for any number of purposes. Very little technical knowledge is required to do so.

Built in searching allows the user of the presentation to find information within it. The underlying HTML can be made inaccessible, and groups of pages can be protected with passwords, allowing information to be restricted to authorised users, or maybe even sold.

Form processing allows you to build presentations that request data from the user, or catalogues, shopping cart type applications etc.

Product Information

WebCompiler is an "HTML Compiler". In simple terms it takes a set of HTML and associated files (images, embedded video etc.) and turns it into a self-contained executable that can be distributed in any number of ways, on CD or floppy disk, via download etc.

The overhead beyond the compressed size of the HTML, images etc. that go to make up the presentation is around 370K.

No "installation" of the compiled executable is required, it will run directly from whatever installation medium it is supplied on.

When the executable is run, the user is presented with a hypertext linked presentation, much like he would see on a WebSite.

The vast majority of modern HTML is supported, including Dynamic HTML and other modern innovations. WebCompiler reuses the IE4 (or above) rendering engine. With a few exceptions mostly because the HTML is not on a real "server", almost anything that is supported by IE4 (or later, WebCompiler has been tested with beta versions of IE5) will be supported by WebCompiler.

Support for Microsoft's Embedded Font technology allows the author to be confident the end-user will see the content exactly as intended, whether or not the user has the requisite fonts installed.

WebCompiler also supports the scripting languages JavaScript and VBScript.

Unfortunately JAVA is not supported because of the unique way the Microsoft JAVA VM accesses its data (this may be due to licensing issues).

Apart from simplifying the distribution of HTML by packaging it neatly in a single unit, WebCompiler provides a range of other advantages over shipping the original HTML -

The source code (HTML) can be made inaccessible to the end user.

Compression reduces the size required without needing the user to "unzip" or otherwise install the HTML.

Pages or complete directories of HTML can be protected by password/userid combinations. Passwords can also be related to specific systems.

An expiry date can be set beyond which the HTML cannot be accessed.

Built-in multithreaded searching allows the user to search the entire presentation, and save the results of searches for future reload.

Built-in form processing provides multiple ways for the user to return data to the presentation's author, even though there is no "server" involved.

Form data input by the user can be printed, using a second "template page" also specified in HTML to produce sophisticated "order forms" etc.

Form data can also be returned via email, or saved to file, or returned directly via a TCP/IP connection to an SMTP server.

Form data can be encrypted using the standard Blowfish algorithm with up to 448 byte keys, and there is built in algorithmic checking of Credit Card numbers.

Specific support is included for processing "repetitive" input data to facilitate the development of Shopping Carts, Product Catalogues and similar applications.

Branding can be applied to the presentation, using user specified Icon, Splash Screen and Toolbar logo.

The interface can be customised by removal of the Toolbar, Status Bar or even the removal of the complete user interface to provide a "Kiosk Mode" that the user cannot escape from (On Win95/98).

Special support is included to enable printing from "Kiosk Mode" applications even though no Print menu command or toolbar button is available.

The size of the interface window can optionally be fixed, so the user sees the presentation exactly as the author intended (screen capability permitting).

Support is included to allow the execution of external programs. In this way presentations can be "chained" or a presentation used as a menu system for software installation or similar tasks.

The interface can be translated into languages other than English.

E-ditor PRO  - 5 Star Winner   Full review here

E-ditor PRO works in a very similar way to Webcompiler, and offers the same features at a much lower price. Like Webcompiler, E-ditor PRO let's you compile HTML pages that include text, images, photographs, sound, animations and movies into a very portable and compact executable file.

Writer's Dream
http://www.zdnet.com/swlib/

Writer's Dream, is the grandfather of e-book programs, and has around longer than the Internet. Both the DOS and Windows versions use plain ASCII text files that you create with any word processor. Then add sound and graphics, and compile the result
into one stand alone .exe file. The unregistered version works fully, but doesn't allow you to create files that you can distribute. Writer's Dream works with Windows 3.1 and is only $39 if you decide to keep it.

Writer's Dream is a nifty program that lets you quickly and easily produce electronic paperless books, newsletters, or other documents. Start with plain ASCII text files created with any word processor or text editor. Then add sound and graphics, if you wish; .wav. .bmp, and .wmf formats are supported. Each book, which is compiled into one standalone .exe file, can have 100 chapters or more. You can specify background and title colors, plus choose whether to let people copy selected parts of your book to the Clipboard or print. This unregistered version allows you to create ebooks for evaluation purposes only -- you can't distribute them until you purchase the program. DOS and 32-bit Windows versions are also available.
System Requirements:Windows 3.1
Purchase Information: Shareware: Free to try, $39 if you decide to keep it.

NeoBook for Windows 95
http://www.neosoftware.com/neosft03.html#neobook_w
NeoSoft Corporation

Neobook came third on my list. It's an impressive authoring system, and though it's not as easy to use as Web Compiler and E-ditor Pro, it's just as versatile You can use it to create and compile a standalone multimedia application using pictures, sounds, video,
hypertext, and other elements. Plus you can add custom push buttons, check boxes, radio buttons, and text entry fields to create an interactive learning environment. Again it's Windows 95 only.

NeoBook is an impressive authoring system for interactive catalogs, newsletters, training materials, and more. Create and compile a standalone multimedia application using pictures, sounds, video, hypertext, special effects, balloon responses, text, and other elements. NeoBook supports most common image, video, and sound files; and a floating toolbar makes creating and editing elements easy. Drag and drop files; and add custom push buttons, check boxes, radio buttons, and text entry fields to create an interactive learning environment or an automated slide show with special effects transitions. NeoBook is designed with intuitive tools and actions that make creating a professional-looking presentation quick and easy.
System Requirements: Windows 95
Purchase Information: Shareware: Free to try, $199.95 if you decide to keep it.

Super Winbook
superwinbook registered version is $39.95
http://superwin.com/super.htm

With the Super WinBook 98 Compiler you can easily and quickly produce your own winbook. The Compiler is a word processor that also compiles and compresses all of the book files into one file and prepares the book for deployment.

If you already have your book in Text (*.txt) or Rich Text (*.rtf) files, just load them into the Compiler, make changes, add sounds, and compile them. In a matter of minutes your book is ready for distribution.

The Compiler can even compress all of the winbook files in a zip file or a self-extracting executable file.

If your book is in another type of file, Write (*.wri), Word (*.doc), PageMaker (*.pm6), Word Perfect (*.wpf), or any other type, from that word processor just save (or export) the file as a Rich Text Format (*.rtf) file. Then load it into the Compiler and proceed.

If you haven't written your book yet, use the Compiler to write it.

The Super WinBook 98 Compiler is shareware. You may download it and use it. It is fully functional, except that the winbooks produced by it have a warning screen between each page and may not be distributed.

If you produced a winbook with the shareware version, changing it over with the registered version is as easy as opening it and pressing the Compile button.

The 16 bit version for Windows 3.1is a 1.031 mb .zip file, and the 32 bit version for Windows 95/98 is a 1.051 mb .zip file.

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