What programs do you people use to create help files for your programs?
visual studio comes with help workshop for making old school help files. you can get the HTML help authoring thing for free from microsoft. the only challenge is finding it on their website
I was just reading yesterday about a "plug-in" (using templates and macros) for Word, that helps with help files. I think it was on the MSDN library. I'll try to find it and post a link later. My darn mainframe has me a little busy at the moment... :)
I seem to be in the minority, but I actually like html help.
It's here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?URL=/library/tools/htmlhelp/chm/hh1start.htm
I'd recommend DotCHM from www.AuricVisions.com (CHM, HLP formats and more, also includes Hlp2Rtf). The trial is ~5MB download with 20 topics limit, duh :)
For utilities you may check out FAR, h*tp://www.helpware.net and some others at h*tp://www.keyworks.net
Ernie:
Did you make your own include file for htmlhelp.lib or did you download one from somewhere to call the API function?
I use HTML Help Workshop.. I created .inc file myself from C header shipped with the program. The lib file included in the package is fully compatible with MASM and works pretty good :)
Schwartzteufel:
I didn't need any constants, I just shelled the file itself, and let windows figure out which app to use to show it.
.data
szFile BYTE "Timer.chm",0
.code
(in message loop)
.ELSEIF uMsg == WM_COMMAND
.IF wParam == IDM_HELP
invoke ShellExecute, hWnd, ADDR szOperation, ADDR szFile, NULL, NULL, SW_SHOWDEFAULT
You don't need to use the help API really unless you are using context sensitive help. The help API allow you to load the help file in a specific place/state in the help file.
See ya,
Ben