Microsoft HTML Help source files

File:

Description:

*.ALI

An alias file that supports window-level context-sensitive Help for applications. This file is created when you match topic IDs and map numbers (from map files) with the window-level Help topics (.HTM files). Information contained in the .ALI file is included in the compiled .CHM file. For more information, see Working with aliases.

*.CHM

The compiled Help file containing all project files in compressed format. This is the file you distribute so users can run the Help system. For more information, see Compiling HTML Help projects.

Secondary *.CHM files

If your project includes links to external Microsoft HTML Help systems, external contents files or binary (merged) indexes, you need to distribute the other .CHM files with the master .CHM file.

When you add external links, contents files or indexes, the corresponding .CHM files are copied into your project folder. They are not included in the compiled .CHM file and need to be shipped separately.

For more information, see:

• Linking to external topics

• Adding external contents files

• Creating binary indexes

*.H, *.HH

Map files used to support context-sensitive Help (for both window-level Help and What's This Help). Information from the map files is included in the compiled .CHM file. For more information, see About map files.

*.HHP

The Microsoft HTML Help file that is created when you compile a Microsoft HTML Help project and generate a .CHM file. This file is not included in the .CHM file. You do not need to distribute it to end users.

*.HLP

A compiled WinHelp file that is added to your project if it includes links to WinHelp topics. The .HLP file is not included in the compiled .CHM file and needs to be shipped separately. For WinHelp 4 files, you also need to distribute the .CNT file. When you add WinHelp Topic controls, the .HLP and .CNT files are copied into your project folder. For more information, see Adding WinHelp topic controls.

*.STP

Stop list file used to support full-text search. This is a text file that you create and add to the project. It contains common words that you want to omit from the search database to decrease search time. For more information, see Adding full-text search stop list files.

Log file (*.TXT)

The log file that is created when you compile a project. It records information about the project as it's being compiled. You can open it in a text editor such as the Windows Notepad to view or print the report. For more information about generating log files, see Changing compilation settings.

Text-only topics (*.TXT)

The text-only topic file created when you develop text-only topics (What's This? Help) for context-sensitive Help used with applications. Text-only topic files are included in the compiled .CHM file. For more information, see Working with text-only topics.

CONTEXT.TXT

The text-only topics file added to your project if you create context-sensitive Help in What's This? Help Composer. (Additional files are added to your project folder. You can find details about these files in What's This? Help Composer's online Help.) For more information, see About What's This? Help Composer.