🚀 go-pugleaf

"Analian" <analian@mail.bg> wrote:
>
> Since there isn't a native support for .chm files in BCB6, I
> did some search in google groups about doing it and finally
> I ended with a piece of code like this:

I would suggest that you *not* try to manage it yourself. Use
this instead:

    http://www.helpware.net/downloads/

It's quite reliable and one of a very few 3rd party components
that we use.

~ JD

"Analian" <analian@mail.bg> wrote in message
news:4476c656$1@newsgroups.borland.com...

> Since there isn't a native support for .chm files in BCB6

Actually, there is, in a way.  BCB6 was the first version to implement a new
plugin architecture for the VCL's Help system.  There is an
ICustomHelpViewer interface that you can derive from to support any Help
technology you want.  There is a whole chapter in the VCL documentation that
explains how to use ICustomHelpViewer, and the RegisterViewer() function.

The VCL ships with a default ICustomHelperViewer implementation that uses
WinHelp.  There are several third-party HTMLHelp implementations available,
or you can write your own.  Sample code has been posted several times
before, which you can search for in the newsgroup archives at
http://www.deja.com.


Gambit

> That's okay, it displays the .chm file but I'd like to do two things more, which I didn't figure how to do:
>
> 1) Since the .chm file is organized in pages (chapters maybe, not sure what the word is), I'd like to be able to
> programatically open it at a specific page (say, "Welcome").
> With .hlp files I used HelpJump to do that but I can't do it with .chm files.
> So how do I do it?

execinfo.lpFile = "hh.exe";                    // Executable in \WINDOWS\system32 for Html Help
AnsiString HelpFile = "a.chm::/topic.htm";     // topic.htm is a topic inside a.chm

for more info
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/htmlhelp/html/vsconhtlink6.asp


> 2) How to make sure only one instance of this .chm file is actually run?
> Writing to the registry comes in mind, but is there a more clever way to do it?


::FindWindow(NULL, "My title help");           // returns not NULL if that help title is already open

more info on a similar topic: Prevent multiple instances of the program from running

http://web.archive.org/web/20030626080800/www.bcbdev.com/faqs/faq74.htm


That should do it.

Your welcome !

-- 
JF Jolin

> execinfo.lpFile = "hh.exe";                    // Executable in 
> \WINDOWS\system32 for Html Help
Actually I've got a \WINDOWS\hh.exe, rather than \WINDOWS\system32\hh.exe

So you say to
    execinfo.lpFile = "hh.exe";
but with
> AnsiString HelpFile = "a.chm::/topic.htm";     // topic.htm is a topic 
> inside a.chm
I actually do
    execinfo.lpFile = "a.chm::/topic.htm";
I don't understand what do you mean here.

I tried
execinfo.lpFile = "a.chm::/topic.htm";
where topic.htm exists in my a.chm, which I've compiled with HelpMaker and 
manually checked that topic.htm exists,
but when I ShellExecuteEx with this execinfo I get
"Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have 
the appropriate permissions to access the item"
which isn't good.

> for more info
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/htmlhelp/html/vsconhtlink6.asp

I checked this out, but I couldn't find the mentioned 'execfile' macro 
there, neither compile it.
Maybe I'm missing a header file?

> ::FindWindow(NULL, "My title help");           // returns not NULL if that 
> help title is already open
This works fine, thanks.

> http://web.archive.org/web/20030626080800/www.bcbdev.com/faqs/faq74.htm
I couldn't browse to this link, "Error 400 Bad request".

Analian

Analian wrote:

>I actually do
>    execinfo.lpFile = "a.chm::/topic.htm";
>I don't understand what do you mean here.

hh.exe is the executable you want to run. Place it in lpFile

"a.chm::/topic.htm" is the file you want hh.exe to act upon, place it
in lpParameters.

>"Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have 
>the appropriate permissions to access the item"

It has been mentioned recently that "a.chm" must be local.

>> execinfo.lpFile = "hh.exe";                    // Executable in \WINDOWS\system32 for Html Help
> Actually I've got a \WINDOWS\hh.exe, rather than \WINDOWS\system32\hh.exe
>
> So you say to
> execinfo.lpFile = "hh.exe";
> but with
>> AnsiString HelpFile = "a.chm::/topic.htm";     // topic.htm is a topic inside a.chm
> I actually do
> execinfo.lpFile = "a.chm::/topic.htm";
> I don't understand what do you mean here.

When you go like this: execinfo.lpFile = "a.chm"
The executable is chosen by the mean of the extension of the file.
Which is also the very last portion of the string.

When you go like this: execinfo.lpFile = "hh.exe"
The executable is forced to be hh.exe
And it must be on the path (environment variable (Path) ).
Otherwise specify the full access:  execinfo.lpFile = "c:\\somewhere\\hh.exe"

From here we can control the exact parameter we want to pass to hh.exe
Which is: execinfo.lpParameters = "a.chm::/topic.htm"

> I tried
> execinfo.lpFile = "a.chm::/topic.htm";

windows is confused about what/how to launch

> where topic.htm exists in my a.chm, which I've compiled with HelpMaker and manually checked that topic.htm exists,
> but when I ShellExecuteEx with this execinfo I get
> "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item"
> which isn't good.

I forgot to mention. a.chm and topic.htm must be
present in the directory: execinfo.lpDirectory
Even if topic.htm is already included in a.chm

If you want to use only a.chm
Here is how to do it.
a.chm must contain a valid map ID.

Look in Html Maker under Test-HtmlHelp-API
with HH_HELP_CONTEXT an 10000 (could be an other number)
When you have a successfull test there.

Make a test with a Dos prompt like
hh.exe -mapid 10000 a.chm

And finally replace: execinfo.lpParameters = "a.chm::/topic.htm"
with:                execinfo.lpParameters = "-mapid 10000 a.chm"


>> for more info
>> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/htmlhelp/html/vsconhtlink6.asp
>
> I checked this out, but I couldn't find the mentioned 'execfile' macro there, neither compile it.
> Maybe I'm missing a header file?

The execfile macro is used with Office 2000 applications.
And have the same behavior as ShellExecute.

>> ::FindWindow(NULL, "My title help");           // returns not NULL if that help title is already open
> This works fine, thanks.

good

>> http://web.archive.org/web/20030626080800/www.bcbdev.com/faqs/faq74.htm
> I couldn't browse to this link, "Error 400 Bad request".
>

Sometime I can access it. Sometime I cannot.

Good day

-- 
JF Jolin

> I forgot to mention. a.chm and topic.htm must be
> present in the directory: execinfo.lpDirectory
> Even if topic.htm is already included in a.chm

I posted too fast.
There is no need for duplication.
a.chm alone is sufficient.

-- 
JF Jolin