Offline browsing program

[Cogito]

From a certain web site I have downloaded a file with a file type of
..chm that enables to use the entire web site offline. What software is
used create it?

 

[Mark Parnell]

From a certain web site I have downloaded a file with a file type of
.chm that enables to use the entire web site offline. What software is
used create it?

That's a M$ HTML help file. Most programs that can create standard help
files (e.g. RoboHELP) can do that as well.

 

[Pete Lees]

From a certain web site I have downloaded a file with a file type of
.chm that enables to use the entire web site offline. What software is
used create it?

You can create these files with Microsoft's HTML Help Workshop, a free
utility available from:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/htmlhelp/html/hwMicrosoftHTMLHelpDownloads.asp

For more information, see:

http://helpware.net/htmlhelp/basics.htm
http://www.mshelpwiki.com/index.php?page=HTMLHelp

 

[Cogito]

You can create these files with Microsoft's HTML Help Workshop, a free
utility available from:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/htmlhelp/html/hwMicrosoftHTMLHelpDownloads.asp

For more information, see:

http://helpware.net/htmlhelp/basics.htm
http://www.mshelpwiki.com/index.php?page=HTMLHelp

Thank you very much for the good links.

I have installed the Microsoft Help Workshop but it looks quite
involved to actually understand and use it. A steep learning curve
needed…. :-(

I have a simple set of several HTML pages that I coded in straight
HTML using Notepad.
Could you please give me a few quick pointers as to what I have to do
to get them into .chm format?
I promise that once I have some idea what is going on here I will read
more of the help sites. Right now I feel completely lost.

 

[Pete Lees]

I have a simple set of several HTML pages that I coded in straight
HTML using Notepad. Could you please give me a few quick pointers
as to what I have to do to get them into .chm format?

Here's how to get started:

1) Open HTML Help Workshop and then, on the File menu, select New.

2) In the New dialog, make sure that "Project" is highlighted and then
click OK. This will open the New Project Wizard.

3) In the first page of the wizard, click Next without selecting the
Convert WinHelp Project checkbox.

4) In the second page of the wizard ("New Project -- Destination"),
click the Browse button and then browse to the directory that contains
the source HTML files.

5) In the File Name field at the bottom of the dialog box, type a name
for the help project. This can be anything you like, but keep in mind
that HTML Help Workshop bases the initial name of the help file on
that of the project file. For example, by default, a project file
called "This is a Test Project.hhp" will produce a help file called
"This is a Test Project.chm". Better to go for a short name, without
space characters.

6) Click Open. This will take you back to the "New Project --
Destination" page of the wizard, in which the text field should now be
filled in.

7) Click Next and then, in the "New Project -- Existing Files" page of
the wizard, select the HTML Files checkbox. Click Next again.

8) In the "New Project -- HTML Files" page, click Add and then select
your source HTML files. You can select multiple files by holding down
the SHIFT or CTRL key while you click the file names.

9) Click Open to go back to the "New Project -- HTML Files" page, and
then click Next.

10) Click Finish to close the wizard.

You can now try compiling the help project by selecting Compile on the
File menu. If the help file doesn't automatically display when the
compilation has finished, select Compiled File on the View menu.

You'll probably want to add a table of contents to the help file, and
maybe also an index and full-text search facilities. For instructions
on how to do this, see the accompanying online help and also this very
useful tutorial:

http://www.mvps.org/htmlhelpcenter/htmlhelp/hhtutorials.html#char_hhw

 

[Cogito]

Here's how to get started:

1) Open HTML Help Workshop and then, on the File menu, select New.

2) In the New dialog, make sure that "Project" is highlighted and then
click OK. This will open the New Project Wizard.

3) In the first page of the wizard, click Next without selecting the
Convert WinHelp Project checkbox.

4) In the second page of the wizard ("New Project -- Destination"),
click the Browse button and then browse to the directory that contains
the source HTML files.

5) In the File Name field at the bottom of the dialog box, type a name
for the help project. This can be anything you like, but keep in mind
that HTML Help Workshop bases the initial name of the help file on
that of the project file. For example, by default, a project file
called "This is a Test Project.hhp" will produce a help file called
"This is a Test Project.chm". Better to go for a short name, without
space characters.

6) Click Open. This will take you back to the "New Project --
Destination" page of the wizard, in which the text field should now be
filled in.

7) Click Next and then, in the "New Project -- Existing Files" page of
the wizard, select the HTML Files checkbox. Click Next again.

8) In the "New Project -- HTML Files" page, click Add and then select
your source HTML files. You can select multiple files by holding down
the SHIFT or CTRL key while you click the file names.

9) Click Open to go back to the "New Project -- HTML Files" page, and
then click Next.

10) Click Finish to close the wizard.

You can now try compiling the help project by selecting Compile on the
File menu. If the help file doesn't automatically display when the
compilation has finished, select Compiled File on the View menu.

You'll probably want to add a table of contents to the help file, and
maybe also an index and full-text search facilities. For instructions
on how to do this, see the accompanying online help and also this very
useful tutorial:

http://www.mvps.org/htmlhelpcenter/htmlhelp/hhtutorials.html#char_hhw

Thank you very much for helping. It would have taken me a month to
read enough to get to this point. I suggest that the help section
should start with this concise description instead of the daunting
volume of text.

I used it to create a .chm file. My next question is: how do I tell
it, which is the starting html file? It seems that instead of starting
(in my case) with index.html it starts with the last (alphabetically)
html file.

 

[Cogito]

Thank you very much for helping. It would have taken me a month to
read enough to get to this point. I suggest that the help section
should start with this concise description instead of the daunting
volume of text.

I used it to create a .chm file. My next question is: how do I tell
it, which is the starting html file? It seems that instead of starting
(in my case) with index.html it starts with the last (alphabetically)
html file.

I have solved it myself... I feel like an expret now.....

Is it possible to have a 'back' button like in a browser?

 

[Mark Parnell]

Is it possible to have a 'back' button like in a browser?

There is one by default in mine. Though I don't use Help workshop, so
YMMV.

 

[rf]

[compiled help files]


I have solved it myself... I feel like an expret now.....

Is it possible to have a 'back' button like in a browser?

What are you using to view your .chm file? Don't use the help workshop, use
hh.exe (the standard windows help viewer) which is launched when you double
click the .chm file.

Cheers
Richard.

 

[Cogito]

[compiled help files]


I have solved it myself... I feel like an expret now.....

An expret? <grin/>

I'm just having fun and feeling good for solving my problem.

What are you using to view your .chm file? Don't use the help workshop, use
hh.exe (the standard windows help viewer) which is launched when you double
click the .chm file.

That's exactly what I do. I double-click on the .chm file and
something starts (hh.exe ? possibly, I don't know). All it has is just
a standard Windows top bar and that's it. Well of course the web page
is there too.

 

[Pete Lees]

Is it possible to have a 'back' button like in a browser?

If you want to change the buttons in the toolbar of the help viewer
then you'll need to create a custom secondary window. For instructions
on how to do this, see the topic "Creating secondary windows" in the
online help for HTML Help Workshop (available online at
http://tinyurl.com/2ps5g). Then you can add or remove toolbar buttons,
change the size and position of the help viewer, and customise it in
other ways.

Mark is right, though; the default window that your help file is
currently using should already contain a Back button, together with
Hide, Print and Options buttons.

If you continue to have problems, feel free to send me your project
(.hhp) file off-list. I'll be happy to take a closer look at it.