How to create and use chm-file for online help?

[Rainer Queck]

Hello NG,

I am currently confronted with the task to equip a vs2005 project with
context sensitive online help (F1).
Reading through the MSDN-Library I found out about the "HelpProvider" class,
which lets me use a chm help file for this purpose.

My question now is, how can I generate a chm file which contains my help?
Is there a way, that I can for example write my Help with word (or some
other editor) and then use (what ever) tool to generate the chm file?

I would greatly appreciate any hints and/or links to get started on this
subject.

Regards
Rainer Queck

 

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Hi Rainer,

I searched the Internet and found a 3rd party tool--Txt2Htm2Chm, that
enables you to convert text files to Windows HTML Help Project and compile
the project to CHM file.

You may visit the following link to get this tool:

http://www.softany.com/txt2htm2chm/index.htm

Hope this helps.


Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[Rainer Queck]

Hi Linda,

thanks for your efforts.
I took a look at your link, and it looks like a nice simple tool.
Unfortunately I need to implement graphics into my help too. Currently I am
looking at the "HTML Help Work Shop", but this looks like I have to provide
my help as html files.
Well I could get along with that, but I hope to find a more convenient tool.

Regards
Rainer

 

[Guest]

You can create your basic XML documentation inside the codefiles for your
project, using the XML Grammar that comes with Visual Studio.

If you want a convenient helper add-in, take a look at Roland Wieget's
"GhostDoc".

Then, you would use NDOC along with the HTML Help Workshop (download from
Microsoft) to compile this into your choice of outputs - CHM is one of them,
and HTML (Web) Help is another.
Peter

 

[Guest]

PS - the HTML Help output from NDoc provides you with Html Files you can add
images to and customize. Then you would import these files into HTML Help
Workshop, create your index and TOC, and compile to CHM with the images
included.

Also, there is a "for pay" utility called FARHTML which does all this
"automagically".
It's not very expensive.
Peter

--
Site: http://www.eggheadcafe.com
UnBlog: http://petesbloggerama.blogspot.com
Short urls & more: http://ittyurl.net

 

[Rainer Queck]

Hello Peter,

Also, there is a "for pay" utility called FARHTML which does all this
"automagically".
It's not very expensive.

Thanks for this link.
I have tried FARHTML and it looks good.

Currently I have on problem:
How can I get the right help topic selected?
I have added the HelpProvider class to my form, set the help name space, and
for testing placed controls, where I set the HelpKeyWord and HelpNavigator
(TableOfContents in this case) for each control. But when I press F1 on
either control the help opens, but it does not select the right topic.

What am I doing wrong there?

Regards
Rainer

 

[Peter Macej]

How can I get the right help topic selected?

Set:
1. HelpKeyword property to HTML file name of the topic to be opened in
your compiled CHM file, e.g. myTopic.htm
2. HelpNavigator property to "Topic".

Don't forget to specify the absolute full path to the CHM file on
program startup. Otherwise your help wouldn't work on other machines.
Note that the system doesn't look in application's folder. Use something
like:
HelpProvider1.HelpNamespace = IO.Path.Combine(appPath, "myFile.chm");

 

[Rainer Queck]

Hi Peter,

Set:
1. HelpKeyword property to HTML file name of the topic to be opened in
your compiled CHM file, e.g. myTopic.htm
2. HelpNavigator property to "Topic".

Great! Now it is working.

Don't forget to specify the absolute full path to the CHM file on
program startup. Otherwise your help wouldn't work on other machines. Note
that the system doesn't look in application's folder. Use something like:
HelpProvider1.HelpNamespace = IO.Path.Combine(appPath, "myFile.chm");

Thanks for this hint too.

Regards
Rainer