The following table shows you the main differences between the three types of publications. For further information about each one, click on the related "More information" link. Note finally that this table does not show all HTML Executable features!
| Self-Extracting | Internet Explorer-based browser | Stand-alone HTML Viewer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| More information topic | (click here) | (click here) | (click here) |
| Single executable file (your publication is a real executable file that you distribute to your users) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Requires an external Web browser (such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla FireFox, Netscape or Opera...) | Yes | No. Under unsupported Windows 9x: requires Internet Explorer 4.0+ (not necessarily set as default browser). | No. The publication has its own built-in HTML Viewer. |
| Support for standard HTML 4, pictures, sounds, animated GIFs, Cascading Style Sheet... | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Support for DHTML, JavaScript... | Yes | Yes | No (use HEScript instead) |
| Support for Java applets | Yes | Partially only (more info) | No |
| Adobe Flash support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Adobe Flash video (FLV) support EXPERIMENTAL FEATURE | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Adobe Acrobat PDF support | Yes | Yes | Yes, partially |
| Adobe Shockwave support (.DCR files) | Yes | Yes, partially | No |
| Other ActiveX controls | Yes | Partially (experimental feature) | Partially (experimental feature) |
| Source HTML page and graphic files need to be unpacked | Yes | No | No |
| HTML source code can be accessed | Yes | No | No |
| Context menu (and the famous Show source code command) can be disabled | No | Yes | Yes |
| Password/page protection | At startup, a password may be prompted. | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced security options for HTML pages (copy/print/select/restricted access...) | No | Yes | Yes |
| HTML printing and print preview support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| The browser's user interface (GUI) can be customized. | No, only startup dialogs. | Yes | Yes |
| Support for skins | No | Yes | Yes |
| Custom menu bar and toolbar (own items) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Search engine enabled | No | Yes | Yes |
| Table of Contents | No | Yes | Yes |
| Favorite manager | No | Yes | Yes |
| Kiosk mode | Partially | Yes | Yes |
| Strong file compression | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Can create restricted, trial (users need to register your publication after a specific number of days/runs) and hardware-locked publications | No | Yes | Yes |
| Localization (translation into different languages) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Is a runtime module required? | No | Yes but it can be merged with the publication or freely distributed/downloaded. | Yes but it can be merged with the publication or freely distributed/downloaded. |
| Possibility to change the version information and icon of the .exe file | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Digitally sign publication .exe files with Authenticode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Which type of publication should I choose?
It actually depends on the features and the security level you need for your publication and compiled files.
If you wish to archive a website, package it up for distribution or use Java applets, then you can use a Self-Extracting publication. Otherwise, if you plan to create an e-book, a brochure or a manual, if you wish to hide your HTML code from the eyes of your end users, or if you just want to get rid of Web browsers, then a stand-alone HTML Viewer publication may probably be a better choice.
If you want to compile a website with JavaScript support, then you would use an Internet-Explorer based publication.
So just look at the previous table and see which features you need. And do not hesitate to try out the different publications!
Nevertheless note that once you have started a new project, you cannot change the type of publication!
