One of numerous pleasant features of operating systems Windows is availability in them of the wired program implementing a full-fledged help system. This application carries out display of the pages of documentation packed into the file of a special format (as a rule, these files have the hlp extension). Thus, when programming under Windows there is no need to care for implementation of a help system for the program. It is rather simple to compile the help file.
It is required to you
- - Microsoft Help Workshop.
- - files of articles of the help in the RTF format;
- - images to the help in the BMP format.
Instruction
1. Create the new project in Microsoft Help Workshop. In the main menu of the application select the File items and ""New"..." or use a keyboard shortcut of Ctrl+N. Be displayed a dialog of ""New"". In the only list of this dialog select the Help Project element. Click "OK". Be displayed a dialog of saving the file. Pass in it into a directory where there will be files of the project. Enter a project file name. Click ""Save"".
2. Add files of the RTF format which contents will be displayed on pages of the help to the project. Files can be prepared in Microsoft Office Word or Open Office Writer. In a window of the project click ""Files"...". There will be a dialog of ""Topic Files"". Click in it ""Add"...". In the displayed dialog select the file of the RTF format. Click ""Open"". Repeat this operation for the necessary number of files. Click "OK".
3. Add to the draft of the image which will be used in the help. Click ""Bitmaps"..." in a project window. There will be a dialog of ""Bitmap Folders"". Click in it ""Add"...". There will be a dialog of the choice of folders. Find and select a directory where there are images in the BMP format in a directory tree. Click "OK". Repeat this action for the necessary quantity of directories. Click "OK" in a dialog of ""Bitmap Folders"".
4. Create the card of display of identifiers of articles of the help to numerical values. Click ""Map"...". In the displayed dialog of ""Map"" click ""Add"...". Enter identifier articles, numerical value and the comment. Click "OK". Repeat action for the necessary number of articles of the help. Click "OK".
5. Add a set of synonyms of identifiers of articles. Click ""Alias"...". In a dialog of ""Topic ID Alias"" click ""Add"...". In a dialog of ""Add Alias"" enter the initial identifier, the identifier which will be used instead of initial and also the comment. Click "OK". Repeat action for the necessary number of identifiers of articles of the help. Click "OK".
6. Add data files which will be included into the resulting help file to the project. Click ""Data Files..."". In the displayed dialog click ""Add"...". Select the necessary file. Click ""Open"". Repeat this action for the necessary number of files. Click "OK".
7. Set project options. Click on the button ""Options"...". In the appeared dialog of ""Options"" on the General tab enter the identifier of the start page of the help and a window title. On the Compression tab specify a compression ratio of data at compilation. Switch to the Sorting tab and select language of the file of the help. On the Fonts tab select the preferred character set and fonts used in dialog boxes of a help system. Click "OK".
8. Compile the help file. In a window of the project click ""Save and Compile"". Wait for the end of compile process. In application workspace the window with statistical information will be displayed. Make sure of lack of errors. The resulting help file will be in the project directory selected during its creation.