sandyrepope
20-02-2007, 19:24
Since I've decided to use thinbasic for my programming I realize that one of these days one of my programs will need a help file. I've noticed that the help file that comes with thinbasic has the extension .chm.
How are .chm help files made?
Is this the best way to make help files?
What is your favorite way to make help files?
Thanks
Sandy
ErosOlmi
20-02-2007, 20:18
Sandy,
you can find Microsoft recommendations here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607
.hlp files will no longer been supported by Vista. Also Microsoft gives no authorization to redistribute WinHlp32.exe application (able to read .hlp files) so for future if you create .hlp files under Vista, you wiull have to ask your user to download WinHlp32.exe from Microsoft web site.
.Chm files are Microsoft compressed html files: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Compressed_HTML_Help
What to use? I'm not very expert on that.
I can tell you what we use. We use Help & Manual from http://www.helpandmanual.com/
It is not cheap but it does a lot in a perfect way. You create you help in a wysiwyg editor and then from the same source you can produce many different outputs: .chm, hlm, .doc, .pdf, .xml and other formats.
Other software? Here some examples (I've not tested and not in a precise order):
http://www.helpmatic.net/
http://www.danish-shareware.dk/soft/shelpm/
http://www.thefreecountry.com/programming/helpauthoring.shtml
http://www.vizacc.com/
http://www.ibe-software.com/products/software/helpndoc/
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=85113&package_id=87977
http://www.helpware.net/FAR/index.html