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TOC Wizard Page
Compile Project Page
This dialog allows you to edit or create an HTML Help Project (.hhp file), along with TOC and Index files and compile to a .CHM help file. This window is available from the Authoring menu in the main window or by right-clicking a .HHP file in Windows Explorer and selecting "Open with FAR".
But doesn't MS Workshop do this? The FAR HHP editor fixes several broken settings and adds several new settings supported by the HH compiler but not available in MS Workshop.
Special Note: FAR v5 is now Unicode enabled which means it can read files and folders contains Unicode (foreign language) characters. However Microsoft HTML Help itself is now quite an old technology and does not support Unicode. So take care to keep your folder names, filenames and file content ANSI only for HTML Help. If you create Unicode HTML topics they will display correctly however Full-text-search probably wont work. Read more about Unicode and ANSI.
Contains various project settings. These are much the same as in MS HTML Help Workshop. Use Workshop help for a full description of each project setting.
How to get help: Hold the mouse cursor over a edit field for a few seconds to display tool tip help. Not all fields contain tool tip help.
Compiler | Window Types | [Files] | [Merge Files] | Other Sections
Note: The last 3 settings are also defined in Window Types > Files page. If you define Window type fields then these 3 fields have no effect.
You can define any number of HTML Help windows types. The name given to each window type is used to open a topic in that window. See workshop help for more information on window types.
Window Types > Files page
- To hide the contents (TOC) navigation tab you must delete all reference to the .hhc contents file.
- To hide the Index (TOC) navigation tab you must delete all reference to the .hhk index file.
Window Types > Tri Pane page
- The History tab can be shown but is not implemented by the HH API.
- To enable the button tool bar make sure that Navigation is enabled on the Tri Pane page.
- Warning: "Hide Toolbar Text" option has a bug - In HTML Help 1.x you cannot easily switch back to button titles once a compile and view has been done. This is a bug in the HH API. The workaround is to either restart windows then recompile, or change the name of the window type.
Window Types > Toolbars page
- The first 10 buttons are the standard buttons as offered by MS HH Workshop.
- The next 4 buttons are the buttons seen in the MSDN (VS.NET help collection).
Note: The Next and Previous buttons are useful but require that Binary TOC is enabled (Compiler page). Be aware that enabling Binary TOC will break Merging, Info Types and custom icons.- The last group of buttons were never enabled by MS. They can be displayed but do nothing.
- MS provide 2 extra toolbar buttons with fixed icons that you can set the URLs of. Note that if the MSDN menu is enabled the buttons disappear, but are available from the menu.
These are the files that will be compiled into the CHM file. The compiler does an reasonable job of finding files by searching through the .hhc and topic links. However, sometimes it is necessary to add files by hand. Right-click to access the file list commands.
File commands include:
- Open - Open the select file. Effectively like using the Windows Run dialog.
- Open As Text - Open the selected file in a text editor.
- Add Files - Add one or more files using the Windows Open dialog.
- Add Web File - Searches the project folder and sub folders for web files. It will always prompt before adding the new files.
- Import the FAR file list - Takes the files in the FAR list (main window) and adds them to the file list.
- Export to FAR List - Clears the FAR file list (main window) and adds the project files to it.
- Validate Links - Checks if all files in the list actually exist. Bad filenames will be selected.
- Sort List - Alpha sort the list.
- Select All - Selects all files.
- Remove Selected - Removes all selected files from the list.
Note: The add commands will never add duplicate items.
By adding other . CHM help files to the Merge Files list, you enable their Index and Full Text Search information to merge with this .CHMs at run-time (if the CHMs are present).
Merging Table Of Contents info is done in the TOC editor using include statements.
See Workshop reference for more info on merging CHM files at run-time. Also our Helpware tutorial on our web site: http://kb.helpwaregroup.com/ms-html-help/merge
Right-click to access the file list commands.
File commands include:
- Add Files - Add one or more files using the Windows Open dialog.
- Add All CHMs - Adds all CHM help files found in the project folder. This command will not add the current projects own CHM as this is not recommended by Microsoft. However authors do this.
- Sort List - Alpha sort the list.
- Select All - Selects all files.
- Remove Selected - Removes all selected files from the list.
Note: The add commands will never add duplicate items.
Other project sections such as [MAP] & [ALIAS] can be edited on this page.
Select the section name from the drop down list and type (or copy and paste) your changes into the Edit box below.
Use the "Include File..." button to select a file from disk and add it as a "#include filepath" statement. You could also use this to choose files for the Alias section as well (and rename the #include text).
Tip: When you #include a file don't forget to also add the file to the [FILES] list.
Note: This edit box is quite small. We typically ignore this and work directly in the .HHP file in our favorite text editor, or select File > View Source. If you do this remember to click reload to absorb the changes back into FAR.
See also HH Project file section info.
When creating a new project you are faced with creating a TOC (.hhc) or Index (.hhk) by hand. This page gets you off to a flying start. The filename drop down lists contain the names of all .hhc and .hhk files used by your project. Select an item from the Contents or Index dropdowns or enter another filename (existing or non-existing) . All file names are relative to the project folder.
Generate TOC File - Searches for all HTML files in the project folder and its sub folder, and generates a basic .hhc file using the structure of your file system. At the completion of creating the .hhc file the TOC editor will open. Use the TOC editor to quickly drag and drop tree items and manipulate the TOC into the required structure.
Tip: Select "Command > HTML Help > TOC & Index Editor" from the main window at any time to open the TOC editor. Or click the TOC Edit toolbar button.
Generate Index File - Quickly generates a basic Index (.hhk) file using the items found in the selected .hhc file (above).
Compiles your project to the target .chm file you specified on the "Project Settings > Compiler" page. You can also view the compile log and CHM help file.