Visual Studio 2008 Express HTML Help Version 2

[JC]

Hello,

Is the HTML Help 2 compiler included in VS 2008 Express Edition? Where
can I get it? Also is there a tutorial available how to use it with VB?

Thanks

[Ulrich Kulle [MVP]]

Hello Chalao,

Is the HTML Help 2 compiler included in VS 2008 Express Edition? Where can I get it? Also is there a tutorial available how to
use it with VB?

to clarify - it is important to note that MS Help 2 is designed primarily for Visual Studio help integrators. It is not for
creating general application help.

So, please use HTMLHelp 1.x (CHM) for application help at this stage.
You may be interested in a Click Once for Visual Basic example form my site at:
http://www.help-info.de/en/Visual_Basic_2005/vb_2005.htm
There is a project download for VB2005 (you can transform to VB2008) with coding samples.

To go deeper into Help 2 and installing the compiler bits see:
http://www.helpware.net/mshelp2/h20.htm#MS_H2_Runtime
BTW - best place for first steps with Help 2 is Rob Chandler's site (see above too) at:
http://www.helpware.net/mshelp2/h20.htm

HTH

Please give some short reply to your questions answered in this newsgroup. So all users can see what is going on with this
problem .. ;-)

[JC]

Post by Ulrich Kulle [MVP]
Hello Chalao,

Is the HTML Help 2 compiler included in VS 2008 Express Edition? Where can
I get it? Also is there a tutorial available how to use it with VB?

to clarify - it is important to note that MS Help 2 is designed primarily for
Visual Studio help integrators. It is not for creating general application
help.
So, please use HTMLHelp 1.x (CHM) for application help at this stage.
http://www.help-info.de/en/Visual_Basic_2005/vb_2005.htm
There is a project download for VB2005 (you can transform to VB2008) with coding samples.
http://www.helpware.net/mshelp2/h20.htm#MS_H2_Runtime
http://www.helpware.net/mshelp2/h20.htm
HTH
Please give some short reply to your questions answered in this newsgroup. So
all users can see what is going on with this problem .. ;-)

Thanks for your help. But I still could not figure out how to use that
application to build my chm file. Could you please explain it a bit
more?

Thanks

[Ulrich Kulle [MVP]]

Hello Chalao (or Joydeep),

Thanks for your help. But I still could not figure out how to use that application to build my chm file. Could you please
explain it a bit more?

I'm not quite sure what application (to build your CHM file) you mean (ZenHelp, Microsoft HTMLHelp Workshop, FAR
www.helpware.net, ..)?
Please give us some information about the way you want to use help. Did you give ZenHelp a try, because you have your documents
in Word?

You have to decide what kind of help you want. As I mentioned earlier CHM is for application help at this stage. It's the
"F1"-button help you may want to call from the help menu in the application you developed with Visual Basic 2008 Express.

[JC]

Post by Ulrich Kulle [MVP]
Hello Chalao (or Joydeep),

Post by JC
Thanks for your help. But I still could not figure out how to use that
application to build my chm file. Could you please explain it a bit more?

I'm not quite sure what application (to build your CHM file) you mean
(ZenHelp, Microsoft HTMLHelp Workshop, FAR www.helpware.net, ..)?
Please give us some information about the way you want to use help. Did you
give ZenHelp a try, because you have your documents in Word?
You have to decide what kind of help you want. As I mentioned earlier CHM is
for application help at this stage. It's the "F1"-button help you may want to
call from the help menu in the application you developed with Visual Basic
2008 Express.

I am using MS HTMLHelp Workshop and Far, VB 2008 Express on Windows
Vista 32 bit. I downloaded today ZenHelp and shall give it a try.

My original document is in HTM format. I am dividing it into small
pieces of HTMLs and reformatting them CoffeeCup HTML editor. I wish Far
to have a built-in HTML editor. Also could you suggest - which will be
faster method doing this - using Far or using topic-based chm builder
like HelpNDoc? I don't know why but these chm making softwares are
awefully expensive.

Thanks

[Ulrich Kulle [MVP]]

Hello JC,

Post by Ulrich Kulle [MVP]
Hello Chalao (or Joydeep),

Thanks for your help. But I still could not figure out how to use that application to build my chm file. Could you please
explain it a bit more?

I'm not quite sure what application (to build your CHM file) you mean (ZenHelp, Microsoft HTMLHelp Workshop, FAR
www.helpware.net, ..)?
Please give us some information about the way you want to use help. Did you give ZenHelp a try, because you have your
documents in Word?
You have to decide what kind of help you want. As I mentioned earlier CHM is for application help at this stage. It's the
"F1"-button help you may want to call from the help menu in the application you developed with Visual Basic 2008 Express.

I am using MS HTMLHelp Workshop and Far, VB 2008 Express on Windows Vista 32 bit. I downloaded today ZenHelp and shall give it
a try.
My original document is in HTM format. I am dividing it into small pieces of HTMLs and reformatting them CoffeeCup HTML
editor. I wish Far to have a built-in HTML editor. Also could you suggest - which will be faster method doing this - using Far
or using topic-based chm builder like HelpNDoc? I don't know why but these chm making softwares are awefully expensive.

you know - creating help files (CHM) has a learn curve. And most work is good content from the users view.

What I'd really recommend is Rob Chandler's shareware tool FAR from http://www.helpware.net/FAR.
You can do anything with your prefered HTML-Editor outside and put FAR into your workflow. It's a low priced tool and the
wizards are great. You may need web-based help generated by FAR later e.g.:
http://www.help-info.de/en/redirect.htm
http://www.helpware.net/hh_start.htm

One tip - don't look at all the options of FAR when starting.
1. Put your HTML files to structured subfolders of your project folder e.g.
welcome.htm
design.css
First_Steps\download.htm
First_Steps\starting_program.htm
How_to_extend\extend_menu.htm
How_to_extend\power_function.htm
images\gui_screenshot.jpg

2. Drag and drop these files to FAR
3. Start the wizard for HTMLHelp 1.x see main menu: Authoring > Help Wizard
4. ready ..