Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

[Kevin McDuff]

I have a .CHM (compiled Windows help file) for my application and am finding that I am unable to use the context-sensitive help available in A5. Previously, the help system used a standard Windows help file (.hlp) and the context-sensitive help worked fine, but it has been changed since Vista and Windows 7 don't support .hlp files. I wonder if anybody has any idea or information about what's not working now.

I've attached a sample .chm file if anybody is willing to check this out. Once you've downloaded and unzipped the file, go into any of your forms and select the Help Entry tab for the Form Properties. Select "Compiled Windows Help File" and "Use Specified Help File Name," then specify the ApplicationHelp.chm file that I've attached. Press the "Test Help" button and the help should be displayed. (This sample help file was created with Madcap Flare, by the way, as was the .chm file I'm having trouble with, if that makes any difference. I don't think it should.)

But then try adding a Topic Name (e.g., Introduction) and press Test Help again. Nothing happens (at least for me). I've also tried Introduction.htm (the actual name of the topic) and other variations, but nothing works. When the .hlp file was being used, the inclusion of the Topic Name would open the help file to that particular topic.

By the way, I've tried this in Versions 8, 9 and 10, all without success.

Any ideas, anybody?

Thanks.

[Clunes]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

Not your answer - but While Vista and W7 do not us the old hlp files, microsoft did provide a download so that you could install it on your machine. Do a search on the microsoft site. They did this so older programs could be moved to Vista.

[Kevin McDuff]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

Thanks, Mark. I was aware of the MS download already, but there were several reasons (including the obsolecence of WinHelp) that resulted in the decision to move to a .CHM file and away from WinHelp. It's good though that I don't mislead anyone into thinking there is no solution for them if they use WinHelp and are moving to Vista or Windows 7, so thanks for the input.

[Garry Flanigan]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

I did not test your file but have you confirmed that the file is not blocked?
In File Explorer, you can right click the file and look at properties and turn blocking off.
Garry

[CALocklin]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

Wow, this really needs to be fixed in my opinion.

I tried it with a .chm file I'm currently building and finally got it to work with my "Password" topic. However, it doesn't work with any of the other 10 topics I've built so far.

I thought the problem might have to do with the number of characters and/or the type of characters (letters, numbers, spaces, underscores) used in the name so I tried various combinations. No matter what I did, only the "Password" topic works and only if it is called "Password". If I rename it to anything else it won't open under the new name - but it will still open as "Password" even if I rename it to "This is a really dumb situation". Figure that one out! (If you do, I think you will find the solution. Hmmm, it is possible that this is the only one of the 10 current topics that still has its original name.)

I also checked every setting I could find in both the "General" areas and the specific topics but could find nothing that would seem to cause this.

[Kevin McDuff]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

Garry,
I believe that the file is indeed blocked, but if I understand that issue correctly, that should only mean that the Open File - Security Warning dialog will be displayed when I try to access help. Unfortunately, my computer is running XP home edition, which means that I don't have access to the "unblock" option and will have to live with that intrusive message popping up when I access help on my machine, but it doesn't seem like it should prevent help topics from displaying altogether. I can't check it out though because the Group Policy Editor that allows unblocking isn't available on my computer. Thanks though for the suggestion.

[Kevin McDuff]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

Cal,
Yes, exactly. We both are experiencing the same symptoms. I thought I had mentioned (but see now that I didn't) that I could occasionally get a topic to come up, but there was no apparent sense to what would work and what wouldn't. I'm sure though that the majority of my topics are as they were originally entered and have not been changed. I'll post this issue as a bug report and see what happens. Thanks.

[Garry Flanigan]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

chm files work fine for me in v8 and v9.
If I change the "Topic Name" for a form then test help it works correctly.
Garry

[Kevin McDuff]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

Darn, Garry, that makes it even more difficult that it's not working the same way for all of us. Since it is working for you, I followed up on your unblocking suggestion by putting my app on a machine with XP Professional and unblocking the file. The topics problem exists on that machine for me as well, although the Open File - Security Warning dialog no longer pops up, as expected when unblocked. I'm wondering if the program that creates the .chm file is the culprit. I don't know. I'm at a loss. I tested on the Alpha Five .chm and had the same problems, although I guess I can't be sure what their topic headings are. Since Cal is getting the same results as me, I did put in a bug report, so we'll see what Alpha says and I'll make sure to report back when I hear. Thanks for checking.

[CALocklin]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

FWIW, I actually did my testing in v9. I forgot which forum this post was in.

[Kevin McDuff]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

I've just heard from Selwyn, who explained that it was not a bug, but that there was room for improvement and he will make a change accordingly. The problem is that Alpha Five doesn't currently support Topics for .CHM files. Instead, the "Topic Name" points to the .CHM index. However, Selwyn stated that he will add support for topics in the next build. In the Topic Name, the syntax will be something like toc:TopicName. Selwyn will add a hyperlink on the Help Entry tab of the Form Properties dialog explaining the new convention when it is added. As usual, I am gratified and continually amazed at the responsiveness that Alpha has to our little problems.

[Garry Flanigan]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

Just for interest I use HelpScribble to make my *.chm files.
These files DO work in v8 and v9 (I have not tested in v10) so maybe not all chm files are created in the same way, which is maybe what Selwyn ws hinting at when stating "that it was not a bug, but that there was room for improvement".
Garry

[CALocklin]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

I've just heard from Selwyn, who explained that it was not a bug, but that there was room for improvement and he will make a change accordingly. The problem is that Alpha Five doesn't currently support Topics for .CHM files. Instead, the "Topic Name" points to the .CHM index. However, Selwyn stated that he will add support for topics in the next build. In the Topic Name, the syntax will be something like toc:TopicName. Selwyn will add a hyperlink on the Help Entry tab of the Form Properties dialog explaining the new convention when it is added. As usual, I am gratified and continually amazed at the responsiveness that Alpha has to our little problems.

OK, mine is working when I use keywords from the Index list. ("password" is one of my keywords as well as a topic title)

[enstorms]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

Garry,
What function you using to open the .chm file? I use Helpscribble also and am trying to find/figure out how to open to a topic. I'm still using a5v9.
Ernie

[CALocklin]

Re: Linking to Topics in CHM Help Files

The original question did not have anything to do with using an xbasic function to open the Help file. If you go to the form properties and look at the Help Entry tab you will see that a specific Help entry can be set up as 'context sensitive help'. Similar entries exist for fields, buttons, and possibly some other objects on forms.

If you want to use xbasic to open a help file, I find that the winhelp_show() function works well IF you are willing to accept the same limitation listed above - you can open a .chm file to an index name (keyword) but you can't open it to a topic name.

Even though the function says you can specify "toc" as the 3rd argument, I can't get it to work for me. Here's what I found:

This command to open to the "AReg_Text7" topic using the associated keyword of "7" works fine:
winhelp_show( "E:\HelpFile\aims_reg\aims_reg_addon.chm", "7" )
This command to open the same topic using the topic name just opens the Help file to the main page:
winhelp_show( "E:\HelpFile\aims_reg\aims_reg_addon.chm", "AReg_Text7", "toc" )
This command to open the same topic using the topic ID also just opens the Help file to the main page: (since the topic name didn't work, I tried the topic ID)
winhelp_show( "E:\HelpFile\aims_reg\aims_reg_addon.chm", "IDH_Topic60", "toc" )

Perhaps this issue will also get fixed when they fix the "topic name" issue with the 'context sensitive help' method.

Disclaimer: My tests were run in v9.