Comparing HPJ to HLP

The WinHelp project file (.HPJ) is the main organizational file, containing all the source files. WinHelp creates an .HLP file when it compiles the source files into one file. The .HLP file is what you distribute with applications or ship to end users.

Although you can create HTML Help from both kinds of files, the options for setting up the new project vary with each format, and so do the results. You can import .HLP files to HTML Help, but the process is easier if you have the .HPJ file. For more information, see Limitations of creating HTML Help with .HLP files. See the following table to help you decide which method works best for you.

 

HPJ files

HLP files

Based on WinHelp project file (.HPJ) and all of its source files including table of contents (.CNT), text formatting (.DOC), images (.BMP, .SHG, etc.), multimedia (.WAV, .AVI).

Based on compiled WinHelp file (.HLP) and for WinHelp 4, its table of contents (.CNT).

Since HPJ files require the source files, all of the information about the project is available, including text formatting and styles. This makes it possible to create styles and style sheets based on the styles in the WinHelp document files. The HTML topics look very similar to the way they look in WinHelp.

HLP files do not contain all the information that is found in .HPJ files. For example, text formatting and styles are not available. The formatting options are more limited and the HTML topics may or may not resemble the formatting used in WinHelp.

It's straightforward to create HTML Help since all the source files are available.

Because the source files are not available, it's necessary to "decompile" the .HLP file and create an HTML project based on the extracted components.

The .HPJ file includes all the information about the topics, making it possible to retain many WinHelp features in the HTML Help project.

The .HLP file does not include the source files, so the results are more limited. For example, browse buttons, secondary windows and shortcuts cannot be transferred into the HTML topics.

You have more options for choosing how the HTML project looks and behaves. For example, you can specify how to create folders, organize HTML topics, apply styles, and convert popups, context-sensitive Help, and external WinHelp links. You'll have minor (if any) modifications to make after the HTML project is created.

You have limited options for specifying how the HTML project will look and behave. After the project is created, you can make modifications to the HTML topics to suit your preferences.

Topics in the document files (.DOC) are converted into HTML topics.

The document files (.DOC) are not available, so HTML topics are created by extracting WinHelp topics from the .HLP file.