Hi, I created a documentation project with Documentation. It makes a good impression on me, but I can't build it even with the Self-Contained Exe option. I don't meet the requirements for the other options. What should I do? Best Regards.
I don't know - what's actually happening?
Does it build to Html? And can you browse the HTML using hte built-in server (http.sys). The exe is using the same mechanism but with the Html packaged as a zip file into the exe.
Unfortunately, because the file is not signed (and cannot be signed as far as I know) there might be security issues with the exe.
You can also distribute the Html as a zip file and 'run' it locally (without a Web Server) running the provided DocumentationMonster-Documentation-Viewer.exe out of the root folder. This uses the same mechanism as the packaged EXE, but without the bundling.
+++ Rick ---
Hi, My desire is to be able to generate a .chm HTML like West Wind HTML Help does easily. When I do a Build with Monster, it offers me at least 5 possible options. Whatever I do, the result is always a failure. Which one should I choose? Best regards.
Documentation Monster doesn't create CHM files. CHM files are dead at this point and while I realize you can use them in FoxPro and that's likely your target, the issue is that there are security issues and it uses Internet Explorer which limits what you can render in the browser. Help Builder still used very old Html templates which is why that works, while Documentation Monster uses much more modern Html that doesn't can no longer render properly in the Internet Explorer CHM viewer.
This means, if you want CHM output then you have to stick with Help Builder.
Personally even in my FoxPro apps I've been using Web based help by explicitly linking to Web topics on help operations. This requires overriding default Help behavior in FoxPro, but it's not very difficult to do and results in much more flexible options for documentation content.
FWIW, this:
Whatever I do, the result is always a failure.
is not helpful. Maybe you should explain what you are doing and what doesn't work.
+++ Rick ---
Hi,
You can also distribute the Html as a zip file and 'run' it locally (without a Web Server) running the provided DocumentationMonster-Documentation-Viewer.exe
Indeed, it generates a lot of things like TableOfContents. But can this object be integrated as such into my project? Best regards.
I'm not sure what that means.
I assume you want functionality similar to CHM and as I said that's not available with Documentation Monster.
+++ Rick ---
I'm not sure what that means.
I assume you want functionality similar to CHM and as I said that's not available with Documentation Monster.
There literally no longer is a 'Windows Help Engine' of any kind. Windows abandoned that many years ago.
Modern Help systems in just about any application these days link to Web sites and use their own internal logic to map screens to Web link. Heck most apps don't even have context sensitive help at all - just a few help links and a general help file.
In FoxPro you can capture ON KEY F1 or capture the Window or control help events and use those to map to the appropriate topics online.
For offline documentation, there's no direct mechanism. You could:
- Ship the Html for the Documentation Site
- Run a local Web server
- Link locally to those Http links
Documentation Monster can build offline documentation but it's not linkable. You can generate standalone Exe, PDF and Html documents, but none of those are meant for application integration but for offline perusal.
If you absolutely must have CHM and that sort of help environment then stick with Help Builder which can build for that.
+++ Rick ---
If you absolutely must have CHM and that sort of help environment then stick with Help Builder which can build for that.<< I think you're right, I'll stick with West Wind Help Builder for now. But I'm open to moving to the new help systems in applications, except I have no idea how to set up links to websites, let alone use its internal logic to map screens to web links. Do you have any documentation on all that? Best regards.
Opening a link to a Web site is as easy as using windows ShellExecute().
************************************************************************
* ShellExecute
****************************************
*** Author: Rick Strahl
*** (c) West Wind Technologies, 1996
*** Contact: rstrahl@west-wind.com
*** Modified: 03/14/96
*** Function: Starts associated Web Browser
*** and goes to the specified URL.
*** If Browser is already open it
*** reloads the page.
*** Assume: Works only on Win95 and NT 4.0
*** Pass: tcUrl - The URL of the site or
*** HTML page to bring up
*** in the Browser
*** Return: 2 - Bad Association (invalid URL)
*** 31 - No application association
*** 29 - Failure to load application
*** 30 - Application is busy
***
*** Values over 32 indicate success
*** and return an instance handle for
*** the application started (the browser)
************************************************************************
FUNCTION ShellExecute(tcUrl, tcAction, tcDirectory, tcParms, tnShowWindow)
IF VARTYPE(tnShowWindow) # "N"
tnShowWindow = 1
ENDIF
IF EMPTY(tcUrl)
RETURN -1
ENDIF
IF EMPTY(tcAction)
tcAction = "OPEN"
ENDIF
IF EMPTY(tcDirectory)
tcDirectory = SYS(2023)
ENDIF
DECLARE INTEGER ShellExecute ;
IN SHELL32.dll as ShellExec_1;
INTEGER nWinHandle,;
STRING cOperation,;
STRING cFileName,;
STRING cParameters,;
STRING cDirectory,;
INTEGER nShowWindow
IF EMPTY(tcParms)
tcParms = ""
ENDIF
RETURN ShellExec_1( _Screen.HWnd,;
tcAction,tcUrl,;
tcParms,tcDirectory,tnShowWindow)
ENDFUNC
* ShellExecute
To use it:
ShellExecute("https://webconnection.west-wind.com/docs/Utility-Classes/Library-wwUtils/wwUtilsShellExecute.html")
+++ Rick ---
Such diligence. I'm going to get to it and I hope I don't bother you too much with my questions. Thank you very much.