Questions tagged [html-help]

Microsoft HTML Help is a help system to use compiled HTML web content (in ".chm" files) for help topics. Use this tag for questions about using the "HTMLHelp" API and for general questions about designing and using the system. Questions about building HTML Help content with the "HTML Help Workshop" program should use the [html-help-workshop] tag.

HTML Help was Microsoft first help system to use HTML web content for help topics and was first shipped with IE4 and Windows 95 many years ago. Microsoft have created other help systems since WinHelp (.hlp) and HTML Help (.chm) but they are tied to various systems:

  • MS Help 2.0 for Visual Studio 2002/2003/2005/2008 & Office help.
  • AP Help for Windows Vista OS/OEM help (based on MS Help 2)
  • MS Help Viewer 1.0 for Visual Studio 2010 help.
  • MS Help Viewer 2.0 for Visual Studio 2012 & Windows 8 OS/OEM help.

So for offline (local) help, HTML Help is the only Microsoft help platform available for general application help unless you turn to 3rd party solutions or use web pages.

HTML Help is in maintenance mode, which means no new features are expected for either the runtime or the compiler. Only critical updates will occur from here on. All mainstream development on HTML Help has stopped.

HTML Help Workshop is used to compile the content to a .chm compressed help file. The Table of Contents file (.hhc) and Index file (.hhk) are authored using Microsoft's free HTML Help Workshop tool or other 3rd party solutions. The HTML Help viewer (part of Windows Operating System) can then open and display the contents of the .chm help file using hyperlinks and standard TOC/Index/Search tabs to navigate the help content.

The HTML Help runtime files (needed to view a .chm help file) are part of the Operating System (Windows 95 and higher). When you double click a .chm help file the HTML Help Viewer (hh.exe) runs and displays your help file.

HTML Help is an older ANSI technology. This means when compiling foreign language help you must be on a foreign language machine or have Windows regional settings set correctly in Control Panel. To neglect this will cause problems with sorting etc. Using Unicode HTML topics will also cause problems. Always make sure your translators work in ANSI format.

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How to map child .chm topic to Context Sensitive Help in Robohelp?

Using Robohelp 10 html help. how can i map a topic from a merged (child) .chm to the master? User needs to press F1 and get the topic from the child .chm. I tried editing the Master's .ali file and changing the Alias entry, like this:
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What is the reason FreeLibrary for hhctrl.ocx hangs on program shutdown? And how can I avoid this?

I have got a program written in Delphi 2007 that uses html help. Very often it hangs on exit (even though html help wasn't actually called) and I traced the problem down to this call in the finalization section of Windows.pas finalization if…
dummzeuch
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How to include two or more Topics in the Same Page

I am trying to make doxygen documentation using doxywizard and then fine tuning using HTML Help Workshop. I wanted to create two Topics under the root and both pointing to different section in a same Page. I can use add Topic and can add two listing…
Raulp
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Doxywizard error : There is not enough memory available for this task

Though I have enough memory(RAM -> ~3.5 GB and Hard Disk - > 60 GB) I am still getting this error again and again while creating chm file using DoxyWizard. Is there any setting I need to do to fix this? Even if I do this from the html help…
Raulp
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Index and favourites tab is missing in .chm file

I have one .chm file in which Contents and Search tab are there. But Favourites and Index tabs are missing. IF I Want to add them in .chm file how can I do that?
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Ms Access CHM Help File Can't Get Focus

I'm opening a custom help file (CHM) using VBA and the api 'HtmlHelp', eg: hWnd = HtmlHelp(Application.hWndAccessApp, sFile, HH_HELP_CONTEXT, context_id) The Help file opens, but it's hidden behind the Access window, and although it's icon is…
maxhugen
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Microsoft HTML Help - Get the topic page URL from the topic ID

We're currently using HTML Help to display CHM help files in our software. We'd like to change how we're opening the help however, to open it in our own custom window with an embedded browser. Achieving this by directly requesting topic pages to be…
Zepee
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How to automatically display first entry when using HH_DISPLAY_INDEX

I would like to display the index tab with a keyword specified and the first entry displayed. The following code will only display the index tab with the keyword in the search field, but will not display the first entry from the list. ::HtmlHelp…
bcause
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Toolbar and treeview Icons missing when displaying CHM file using HH API

Just encountered an interesting problem. I have a CHM file. If I display it using Process.Start it displays correctly. If however I launch it using the HH API it displays without any icons in the toolbar and treeview; the main content, including…
Samuel Jack
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Docbook HTML Help Index

I have been using htmlhelp xsl to produce my htmlhelp files. Until yesterday, the index was there. But from today, I don't see any entry there in the index.hhk file. I am using xsltproc to produce my html help files. Here is my test xml…
Joydeep
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Win32: HtmlHelp doesn't work from a network share. What's the alternative?

Since 2005, when Microsoft prevented HtmlHelp functioning off a network share, e.g.: \\appserver\tos\PointScanner.exe \\appserver\tos\PointScanner.chm What are we supposed to do instead? (Given that the application is not installed locally.) To…
Ian Boyd
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Table of content is not proper in chm file

i have chinese help .chm file, before extracting the chm file the table of contents are showing properly in chinese but when i used the keytool or microsoft html workshop to extract the chm file the hhc and hhk file contents showing some symbols not…
Dhinesh
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MFC Custom HtmlHelp

I'm doing maintenance on a legacy MFC application. When the user selects Help → Help from the main menu along the top of the app, I need my custom OnHelp() to be called. From my research, I've learned that MFC normally intercepts this command…
Frecklefoot
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Yii Documentation: Generate Html Help Project files

I need to generate MS html help project files (that is html/js/image files plus .hhp, .hhk, and .hhc) from Yii Docs build system but I'm yet to find how to do It. I don't need a compiled CHM, just the project files. I work from Ubuntu Linux Any…
Stefano Mtangoo
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Adding a topic file using MS Help Workshop

I have a set of files used to make up a .CHM help file using Help Workshop. I've added a new topic in a separate file in the html sub-directory with a link in one of the other files. Help Workshop makes a .CHM file including the new file BUT the…
Mike Dorl