Help file in Windows 7

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zer0
Posts: 2676
Joined: 19 Jan 2009 20:11

Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by zer0 »

admin wrote:Well yes, I would have gone CHM (with HLP as an alternative option) years ago if I'd found a bloody converter that actually works!
With all due respect and I do mean this in the politest way possible, waiting for a converter to seamlessly and perfectly transform from one format to another is not good enough. There is no significant market demand for such a tool and there probably won't be even after Microsoft withdraws its official support for it

HLP as a help format is on its last legs. I admire Microsoft for pledging to include a support update for Windows 7, I hope that they will do so soon. Yes, in the meantime, there is a workaround, but it creates a situation where you have to rely on someone else (other than you, Don) to provide a solution. I remember you saying that XYplorer will never rely on 3rd-party software to function. Is it that much different to have to rely on another individual to offer a workaround? Like TheQwerty and JC said, the current workarounds are either "techy" or unavailable to trial users. It means a lot that it's us, the paid users, who are raising this matter. I realise that rebuilding the help file from scratch in another indexable and searchable format is a lot of effort. I think a couple of questions that you have to ask yourself are: "Is the help file important in the context of XYplorer as a whole and will you have HLP as the help format that's built into XYplorer in 12-18 months time?" If the answer to the former is yes, then the answer to the latter should be no.

EDIT: Ironically, one of XY's competitors which shall remain nameless today announced an official release with the help file being entirely in CHM format. Go figure.
Reporting a bug? Have a wish? Got a question? Use search - View roadmap - FAQs: Forum + XY site
Windows 7/10
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admin
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Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by admin »

OK, I decided that you are not totally wrong, folks. :mrgreen:

I will go CHM now and all the way.

So I'm right now spending time looking for a good software. I have given up looking for the perfect HLP-to-CHM converter (it does not exist), but I still need a good HLP-to-CHM converter because I'm certainly not going to write the help from scratch in HTML.

So if anybody here knows of a good HLP-to-CHM converter, and perferably one that allows me to continue working with it as my new HAT (Help Authoring Tool), then please let me know.
But, p-l-e-a-s-e, only suggest tools from first-hand-experience! If you are not an experienced Help Author yourself, I'm not interested in your opinion.

admin
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Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by admin »

The search is over, I opted for Help & Manual. Here's a first (one-click!) CHM attempt for the current official help version (8.30.0000):
http://www.xyplorer.com/download/XYplorer-20090911.chm

What do you think?

calude
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Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by calude »

Nothing :?
nothing is shown sais wrong address

xp sp3

Calude

admin
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Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by admin »

calude wrote:Nothing :?
nothing is shown sais wrong address

xp sp3

Calude
Try this:
http://www.xyplorer.com/download/XYplorerHelpCHM.zip

Stefan
Posts: 1360
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Location: Europe

Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by Stefan »

admin wrote:The search is over, I opted for Help & Manual. Here's a first (one-click!) CHM attempt for the current official help version (8.30.0000):
http://www.xyplorer.com/download/XYplorer-20090911.chm

What do you think?
First thank you for your work. I like to use CHM.

Second you run into the same problem as i last time:
a-links are created but the description is left back too, so we have them twice
Scripting
Introduction
...
...examples is available here:
http://www.xyplorer.comxyplorer.com,,0)
and
Scripting Commands Reference
utf8encodeutf8encode, writefilewritefile
If i recall right i had just taken the created source HTMLs, modified them and compiled an new CHM with an TC plugin
EDIT:
found it > http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic. ... 841#p28841

calude
Posts: 355
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Location: Switzerland
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Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by calude »

admin wrote:
calude wrote:Nothing :?
nothing is shown sais wrong address

xp sp3

Calude
Try this:
http://www.xyplorer.com/download/XYplorerHelpCHM.zip
Works

Thanks

Calude

admin
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Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by admin »

Stefan wrote:
admin wrote:The search is over, I opted for Help & Manual. Here's a first (one-click!) CHM attempt for the current official help version (8.30.0000):
http://www.xyplorer.com/download/XYplorer-20090911.chm

What do you think?
First thank you for your work. I like to use CHM.

Second you run into the same problem as i last time:
a-links are created but the description is left back too, so we have them twice
Scripting
Introduction
...
...examples is available here:
http://www.xyplorer.comxyplorer.com,,0)
and
Scripting Commands Reference
utf8encodeutf8encode, writefilewritefile
If i recall right i had just taken the created source HTMLs, modified them and compiled an new CHM with an TC plugin
EDIT:
found it > http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic. ... 841#p28841
Yes, I'm aware that there's a lot a manual work to do. I estimate at least 1-2 weeks. But I decided to go for it. :twisted:

mwb1100
Posts: 213
Joined: 19 May 2007 06:20

Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by mwb1100 »

admin wrote:OK, I decided that you are not totally wrong, folks. :mrgreen:
First Dual Pane :) , now CHM :shock: . Can't you stick to your guns when you say "no"? :wink:

admin
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Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by admin »

mwb1100 wrote:
admin wrote:OK, I decided that you are not totally wrong, folks. :mrgreen:
First Dual Pane :) , now CHM :shock: . Can't you stick to your guns when you say "no"? :wink:
:lol: You know, I say "no" to "no", I'm that negative.

serendipity
Posts: 3360
Joined: 07 May 2007 18:14
Location: NJ/NY

Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by serendipity »

admin wrote:What do you think?
Well, not everything works (unless all this is "Work in progress"). For example, in Advanced Topics> Script Commands Reference, links look messed up and don't work.

j_c_hallgren
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Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by j_c_hallgren »

serendipity, based on this:
admin wrote:Yes, I'm aware that there's a lot a manual work to do. I estimate at least 1-2 weeks. But I decided to go for it. :twisted:
I would presume it's still in progress..
Still spending WAY TOO much time here! But it's such a pleasure helping XY be a treasure!
(XP on laptop with touchpad and thus NO mouse!) Using latest beta vers when possible.

serendipity
Posts: 3360
Joined: 07 May 2007 18:14
Location: NJ/NY

Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by serendipity »

j_c_hallgren wrote:serendipity, based on this:
admin wrote:Yes, I'm aware that there's a lot a manual work to do. I estimate at least 1-2 weeks. But I decided to go for it. :twisted:
I would presume it's still in progress..
Thanks JC! Missed that post.

admin
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Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by admin »

j_c_hallgren wrote:serendipity, based on this:
admin wrote:Yes, I'm aware that there's a lot a manual work to do. I estimate at least 1-2 weeks. But I decided to go for it. :twisted:
I would presume it's still in progress..
Yes, it is. There are lots of things I have to fix manually. I just want to know if this basically looks like what you expect from CHM. I never use CHM help because I disgust it strongly (yep, still! :mrgreen: ) -- so I have no idea if this looks like a "fine CHM help". (To me it looks just awful.)

serendipity
Posts: 3360
Joined: 07 May 2007 18:14
Location: NJ/NY

Re: Help file in Windows 7

Post by serendipity »

admin wrote:
j_c_hallgren wrote:serendipity, based on this:
admin wrote:Yes, I'm aware that there's a lot a manual work to do. I estimate at least 1-2 weeks. But I decided to go for it. :twisted:
I would presume it's still in progress..
Yes, it is. There are lots of things I have to fix manually. I just want to know if this basically looks like what you expect from CHM. I never use CHM help because I disgust it strongly (yep, still! :mrgreen: ) -- so I have no idea if this looks like a "fine CHM help". (To me it looks just awful.)
Hmmm, I would say its not disgusting. But the current help is not breathtaking either. Also, in the current help its annoying to always switch between Index contents window and content window itself as opposed to CHM where everything is in one window. Makes life easier.
BTW, I wonder if you ever considered HTML format, since its so universal (no OS related problems) and one can make it as pretty as one wants as opposed to any other format mentioned in What's your preferred Help Format?

Also, these days there are some tools to convert Wiki to HTML, so that might be useful too. Just my 2 cents.

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