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Help & Manual issue in Delphi 2006


2007-11-07 12:10:59 AM
delphi99
Hello I am in need of some help and guidance in trying to use .hlp
files in Delphi. Our tech writer created some .hlp files for my
application. He used Help & Manual. I am now ready to implement that
file in my application. Of course as luck would have it our tech writer
is no longer here and I do not have the context map of the file.
Nevertheless I down-loaded a helpdemo from Help and Manual to see how
it works. If I press the key to activate the help manual I get the
following error -
"no context-sensitive help installed"
I also tried to guess the context number on my .hlp file and I have
also used 1 and get the following error as well.
These are things I have done:
1. The .hlp file is located in the same dir as the exe.
2. I have assigned the .hlp in the application part under
project/options.
3. The source code line I have use when click on the help button
and pressing F1. I use application.HelpContext(1);
Can anyone shed any light on the matter. Any help would be grateful.
Thanks,
Semone
--
 
 

Re:Help & Manual issue in Delphi 2006

Warren Postma writes:
Quote
First thing, why aren't you using .CHM (HtmlHelp) instead of the
ancient .HLP files? Second thing, read the Help & Manual help. I
find it ironic when people who are writing help files fail to consult
help files themselves. It underscores the general point that help
files are write-only. Nobody ever reads them. :-)


Warren
--
Thanks for the help Warren, but I am using what we have written for the
application. I mentioned in my message that a Tech writer wrote our
help file using Help and Manual, I did not write nor do I have access
to the Help & Manual. But since the answer is their help I will see if
I can download the help file.
If there are any other help I'd still like to hear from you.
 

Re:Help & Manual issue in Delphi 2006

First thing, why aren't you using .CHM (HtmlHelp) instead of the ancient
.HLP files?
Second thing, read the Help & Manual help. I find it ironic when people
who are writing help files fail to consult help files themselves. It
underscores the general point that help files are write-only. Nobody
ever reads them. :-)
Warren
 

Re:Help & Manual issue in Delphi 2006

Hi,
Did you do
Application.HelpFile := 'data.hlp';
as from Delphi Help?
"Semone" <XXXX@XXXXX.COM>writes
Quote
Warren Postma writes:

>First thing, why aren't you using .CHM (HtmlHelp) instead of the
>ancient .HLP files? Second thing, read the Help & Manual help. I
>find it ironic when people who are writing help files fail to consult
>help files themselves. It underscores the general point that help
>files are write-only. Nobody ever reads them. :-)
>
>
>Warren



--
Thanks for the help Warren, but I am using what we have written for the
application. I mentioned in my message that a Tech writer wrote our
help file using Help and Manual, I did not write nor do I have access
to the Help & Manual. But since the answer is their help I will see if
I can download the help file.

If there are any other help I'd still like to hear from you.

 

Re:Help & Manual issue in Delphi 2006

I'm a bit late to the party but I don't read this newsgroup regularily... So
if this topic is still vacant, here are some hints:
1. I think you simply missed to include the help viewer unit in your main
form. Make sure that you have included "WinHelpViewer" in the uses clause of
your main unit.
2. Assign application.Helpfile at runtime, not at design time. For instance in
the FormCreate event of your main form. Specify the help file with a fully
qualified path, e.g.:
application.Helpfile := changefileext(application.exename, '.hlp');
3. Application.HelpContext(1) does invoke the HLP file by help context numbers
and, because it is a Winhelp file, it displays the help topic in the main help
window. Help context number "1" must be defined in the help file. In Help &
Manual, every topic has a separate entry field for one or more context
numbers. The "topic ID" is *not* a help context number, even if you name the
topic "1". Application.HelpContext will fail unless you have defined
corresponding context numbers in the help file. Make sure that this is the
case (you need the HMX source to check it, the HLP file is a black box).
4. I recommend to use HTML Help (.chm) instead of Winhelp, too. Help & Manual
creates HTML Help as well and the functionality is mostly the same or better.
If you use CHM files, include the unit "HtmlHelpViewer" in (1) and remove
"WinHelpViewer".
Let me know if you need any additional help. To contact me directly, please
write to XXXX@XXXXX.COM (replace email appropriately).
--
Alexander Halser
_________________________________________
EC Software GmbH - www.ec-software.com
Publishers of Help & Manual + TNT Screen Capture
"Semone" <XXXX@XXXXX.COM>writes
Quote
Hello I am in need of some help and guidance in trying to use .hlp
files in Delphi. Our tech writer created some .hlp files for my
application. He used Help & Manual. I am now ready to implement that
file in my application. Of course as luck would have it our tech writer
is no longer here and I do not have the context map of the file.
Nevertheless I down-loaded a helpdemo from Help and Manual to see how
it works. If I press the key to activate the help manual I get the
following error -
"no context-sensitive help installed"

I also tried to guess the context number on my .hlp file and I have
also used 1 and get the following error as well.

These are things I have done:
1. The .hlp file is located in the same dir as the exe.
2. I have assigned the .hlp in the application part under
project/options.
3. The source code line I have use when click on the help button
and pressing F1. I use application.HelpContext(1);


Can anyone shed any light on the matter. Any help would be grateful.

Thanks,
Semone
--

 

Re:Help & Manual issue in Delphi 2006

Alexander Halser writes:
Quote
I'm a bit late to the party but I don't read this newsgroup
regularily... So if this topic is still vacant, here are some hints:

1. I think you simply missed to include the help viewer unit in your
main form. Make sure that you have included "WinHelpViewer" in the
uses clause of your main unit.

2. Assign application.Helpfile at runtime, not at design time. For
instance in the FormCreate event of your main form. Specify the help
file with a fully qualified path, e.g.:

application.Helpfile := changefileext(application.exename, '.hlp');

3. Application.HelpContext(1) does invoke the HLP file by help
context numbers and, because it is a Winhelp file, it displays the
help topic in the main help window. Help context number "1" must be
defined in the help file. In Help & Manual, every topic has a
separate entry field for one or more context numbers. The "topic ID"
is not a help context number, even if you name the topic "1".
Application.HelpContext will fail unless you have defined
corresponding context numbers in the help file. Make sure that this
is the case (you need the HMX source to check it, the HLP file is a
black box).

4. I recommend to use HTML Help (.chm) instead of Winhelp, too. Help
& Manual creates HTML Help as well and the functionality is mostly
the same or better. If you use CHM files, include the unit
"HtmlHelpViewer" in (1) and remove "WinHelpViewer".

Let me know if you need any additional help. To contact me directly,
please write to XXXX@XXXXX.COM (replace email
appropriately).
no you are not to late, I got pulled to another project. I appreciate
your help and I am e-mailing you from idealss address with more
questions and concerns.
--