.HLP file creator reccomendation pls

[Mike Trader]

I have been researching on the internet and in the Poffs forum
for a good freeware solution.

I have found a few references, but some of the links are old and
some of the programs are hard to evaluate.

I have HC.exe to compile a .HLP file and Helpdeco.exe to decompile
a .HLP file.

I can decompile and then re-compile a .HLP file fine,
but if I make changes to the .rtf file then HC.exe rejects it.

I need a tool that I cna write it in and will generate the necessary
.hpj and .rtf file that will go toghether fine and make a .HLP file

Can someone suggest something SIMPLE?

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Kind Regards
Mike

[Lance Edmonds]

I have and (occasionally) use Robohelp, but prefer to use Word97 and HCW... the formatting rules seem a little complex initially, but it is fairly easy to learn and be productive.

(Robohelp integrates Word97, but I find it clumsy and difficult to work with that way... Word97 by itself is the most straight forward arrangement).

The best site for info and tools is probably www.helpmaster.com

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Lance
PowerBASIC Support
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[Chris Boss]

Mike;

Here is a freeware tool called Oasis SE !

http://www.interfeb.com/

There is also a shareware product (totally different than freeware one)
called Oasis Pro.




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[Mike Trader]

Chris,

I like this. I made a .HLP file easily with Oasis Pro.
But I did not realize that there features missing.
I want my HLP file to open on the contents Page, not the white
square with in a square where you choose contents to be displayed.
I just want to go straight there.

And then when you hit the Contents TAB (top left) it takes you to
the Displayed page as well (not the Choose what to display White box
inside a box)

I cant seem to make this happen with Oasis Pro. Is it just not capable
or am I missing an option sopmewhere.

I suspect I will need another app right?

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Kind Regards
Mike

[Steve Hutchesson]

Mike,

I agree with Lance here, I use an older version of WORD and the
freeware HCW from Microsoft to build the help files I need. If
you have a version of word and know your way around its macros,
you can write yur own help file template and get very good results
without messing around with other stuff.

A few tricks, get a copy of SHED.EXE, its freeware from the SDK
and you can use it to make "Segmented Hyper Graphics" which are
modified bitmaps that are compressed and can be used as links in
your help file.

Regards,

[email protected]

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[Mike Trader]

I wish i had an old version of word, but i dont.

I have to find a 3rd party app. It seems i have exhausted the freeware
so does anyone know of a good shareware app?

I am going to email the guy at Helpmaster.com and ask him for a
reccomendation, but i thought I would ask this list first as I trust
you guys.

I want to be able to create a HLP file that opens up on the full
page Contents (like RC.HLP) or even better has a tree menu on the right hand side
like PBDLL.HLP.

I really like Oasis Pro but I dont think it can do this.

Anyone use an app that does?



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Kind Regards
Mike

[Wayne Diamond]

Mike, I use HelpScribble - http://www.jgsoft.com/helpscr.html
It does everything I need and about half a million things I dont

HelpScribble is a great application for creating Windows Help files. It does not require an expensive word processor (and certainly not one from a particular company) and you do not need to be an expert to use it. Even if its interface might look a little bit scary at first, you will find it to be both quite powerful and easy to use after playing around with it for just a little while.

You can use HelpScribble with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4 and 2000. The built-in editors for SHG files (hotspot bitmaps), WinHelp macros, contents tree, browse sequences, etc. allow you to create full-featured help files with ease. You can also export your projects to the new HTML Help format. If you have previously used another help authoring tool, you will find HelpScribble's import function very useful: you will not lose any previous work because you decided to dump your old tool.

Price - USD 79.00/EUR 79.00
If you were referring to it being able to create Contents menus, yes it can

Best of luck,
Wayne


[This message has been edited by Wayne Diamond (edited July 09, 2001).]

[Paul Noble]

hi mike,

this may not be exactly what you had in mind, but did you see my post at
http://www.powerbasic.com/support/pb...ad.php?t=25837 ?

- this also provides a way for you to build your own help systems for free.

regards,

paul

[Edwin Knoppert]

What about an HTML editor and use the HtmpHelp compiler from billy?
Easy to do.

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[Paul Noble]

Hi Edwin,

Sure you can, and it's pretty too. But you are then relying on every client machine
having the necessary support files already plumbed in. Not to mention performance...

Thanks Billy, but no thanks.

Cheers -

Paul



[This message has been edited by Paul Noble (edited July 09, 2001).]

[Ian Cairns]

Mike,
Getting the help file to open on the contents page is controlled by
how you call your help. Don't use the %HELP_CONTENTS flag, use the
%HELP_FINDER flag instead, ie:

CALL WinHelp( hWnd, szHelpFilePath, %HELP_FINDER, 0)

I have been using Helper v 3.2.18.20 by Kenneth R. deCamargo Jr
in combination with MS's Help Workshop v. 4.03.0002, which I found
on the HelpMaster Site.

regards,

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[email protected]

[Peter Lameijn]

A few more help creators:
http://www.cheta.net/shareware/apps/98/helpfile.html
Personally I'm using Windows Help Designer by Nick Ameladiotis.
Works fine...


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Peter.
mailto[email protected][email protected]</A>

[Mike Trader]

Ian,

thx for that tip.
I am actually just talking about when you launch it by double clicking on it.
It seems that to get it go straight to displaying the Contents
and not the "select topic to display" is a problem.

Al WinZips files do it. Most PB files do it (how were they created guys?)
I am now in the process of checking out every dome I can get my hadns on till I
find one that will do this. It seems obvious to me but what do i know

Lance
RoboHelp is 70MB!!
I wont be demoing that today

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Kind Regards
Mike

[Ian Cairns]

If the Contents file <helpFile.cnt> is in the same directory
as the Help file <helpFile.hlp> then it should open on the
Contents page when double-clicked.

regards,

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[email protected]

[Tom Hanlin]

The PowerBASIC Windows help files were generated with the assistance of RoboHelp--
as Lance notes, not an entirely pleasing tool, although I personally find it
preferable to the alternatives. Then again, it's been a few years since I've
examined such utilities. Then again again, .HLP files have been nominally obsolete
for some years, so it's probably not a lively market.

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Tom Hanlin
PowerBASIC Staff

[Edwin Knoppert]

I find plain helpfiles techically speaking the best!
You can do almost anything with .hlp files.
Even making use of DLL's like robohelp does.
And resources attached.

Frankly, it's a neater system than htmlhelp (technically speaking).

The easy to use browse for topic is something i choose to use html help.
I don't need to build a main topic with links now.


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[Mike Trader]

Tom,

What has replaced .HLP files?


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Kind Regards
Mike

[Tom Hanlin]

As far as Microsoft's concerned, "HTML Help". At this point, though, it
seems to me that you can get a lot more bang for your buck by skipping
Microsoft entirely and just going with genuine HTML files. They're simple,
they're portable, and there's a vast selection of tools available for
manipulating 'em.

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Tom Hanlin
PowerBASIC Staff

[Iain Johnstone]

Mike
I use an older programmer, especially for older programmers, called
Helpgen from Rimrock Software - somewhere on the west coast of the USA.
The full version was only $30 US, which was very good when the £ was high
against the $

Iain Johnstone

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[Troy King]

I'm a fan of Samaritan. I've used literally a dozen different help editors, and have to say I like this one the best. It's also cheap .

http://www.e-netronix.com/en/products/samaritan.shtml



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Troy King
[email protected]