Importing HLP to HTML Help

The following information takes you through the steps of importing an .HLP file from a WinHelp project into an HTML Help project. This process takes place after you specify how you want to work with the HTML Help project in RoboHELP. Before you proceed, see Tips for creating HTML Help files with HLP files to get familiar with the process.

Note: If you are importing a Windows 95 Help system, both the .HLP and .CNT files should be located in the same folder.

To import an .HLP file:

  1. Start RoboHELP and select Create a New Help Project.

    If RoboHELP is already open, select New – Project from the File menu.

  2. Click the Import tab.

  3. Select WinHelp (*.hlp) and click OK.

    The Help-to-HTML wizard opens. You'll be prompted through a series of screens that offer different options for specifying how you want to create the HTML Help project.

  4. Click , navigate to the drive/folder where the .HLP file is located and double-click to select it.

  1. Click Next to set up file options.

  1. Click Next to set up style options. A style sheet is similar to a Microsoft Word template. It automatically formats your topic text. You can update the styles in the style sheet after your Help project is imported.

  1. Click Next to set up HTML Help options.

  1. Click Finish. The .HLP file is converted into an HTML Help project.

Tips:

  • If you link a style sheet to your HTML Help topics, a generic style sheet file called STYLES.CSS will be created and added into your project folder. It will be attached to all the HTML Help topics and will contain the formatting from the style option you select. You can modify the styles in this style sheet at any time. For details, see Formatting with styles and style Sheets.

  • If you select Convert Numbered Lists, all WinHelp topics that use numbered lists will retain the numbered list formatting in the HTML Help topics. Numbered lists are slightly different in HTML than they are in WinHelp. You will notice that all items (including screen shots and indented lines that were not numbered in WinHelp) will be part of the numbering sequence in the HTML topic. You can use the Format-Skip Numbering command to turn off numbering on any line and also create nested indents within the steps. For details, see Creating numbered lists.

  • You will want to assign a start topic. This is the topic that is displayed when the HTML Help viewer first opens. For details, see Assigning start topics.