Copyright: Copyright (C) by HyperAct, Inc. and Yaniv Golan


HTMheLp Help Contents

Choose one of the following topics :

Introduction

Using HTMheLp

Advanced Features

Trouble Shooting

Credits


Introduction

HTMheLp converts a collection of HTML input files into a stand-alone WinHelp file.

The resulting WinHelp file will have the following properties :

•	A WinHelp topic will be generated for each HTML file.

•	The title of the generated topic will be taken from the corresponding HTML file <TITLE> tag.

•	Any link between the HTML files will be preserved in the generated WinHelp file as links between the topics.

•	Links to URLs which are not accessible on the local hard disk are converted to popup topics which present the name of the unavailable URL.

•	Image files referenced in the HTML files will be converted to the BMP format and will be incorporated into the corresponding WinHelp topic. The image files must be in one of the supperted formats, see Trouble Shooting if this is not the case.

•	Once the specified HTML files are processed, HTMheLp will attempt to locate and process any HTML file referenced by them. This process will continue until all of referenced the HTML files are either processed or not found.


supported_formats
The following image formats are supported and will be automatically converted :

•	JPG

•	PCX

•	GIF

•	TIF

•	TGA


Using HTMheLp

The following is a snapshot of HTMheLp's main window. Click on area to get more information :


help_button
Press this button to get help.


title_edit
Type a title for the help file.


about_button
Press this button for information about the program.


exit_button
Press this button to exit the program.


input_edit
Type here a directory name and press Enter to change to this directory.


drives_combo
Click to select a different drive.


dirs_listbox
Click to select a different directory.


files_listbox
Select the HTML input files, and add them to the Input Files List using one of these methods:

•	Drag the selected file and drop it on the Input Files List.

•	Double click on a file to add it to the Input Files List.

•	Select multiple files (using Ctrl-Click and Shift-Click), and press the Add button to add them to the Input Files List.


filters_combo
Click to select the files to display in the Files List.


add_button
Click to add the files which are selected in the Files List to the Input Files List.


del_button
Click to remove the files which are selected in the Input Files List,


inputs_listbox
Lists the HTML files to convert. Note that topic generated from the first file in the list will be used as the Contents topic in the generated WinHelp file.


output_edit
Type the name of the output WinHelp file.


browse_button
Select the name of the output file from the list of WinHelp files available on the disk.


html_progress
Displays the progress of the conversion of the current HTML file.


gen_progress
Displays the progress of the WinHelp file generation.


convert_button
Starts the conversion process. This button is disabled when the conversion is in progress.


abort_button
Aborts the conversion process. This button is disabled if there is no conversion in progress.


trans_button
Press this button to display the URL Translation Dialog


URL Translation Dialog

 The URL Translation Dialog is accessible through the main window toolbar.

Each time a URL with a prefix specified in the "URL Prefix" column is encountered during the conversion process, the prefix will be replaced by the corresponding replacement from the Replacement column.

The following is a snapshot of the dialog, click on an area to get more information :


urls_listbox
Lists the URL prefixes which will be replaced and the replacement path.


url_del_button
Click to remove the selected entry from the replacements list.


url_add_button
Click to add an entry to the replacements list.


url_edit_button
Click the edit the entry selected in the replacements list.


url_ok_button
Click to accept the changes made to the replacements list and close the dialog.


url_cancel_button
Click to ignore the changes made to the replacements list and close the dialog.


url_help_button
Click for help.


Advanced Features

In addition to the one-click conversion to WinHelp, HTMheLp offers some additional features. These features are useful mainly to users of HyperAct's HLPDK/PA product.

Customizing the Help File

Converting to OS/2 IPF


Customizing the Help File

The various fonts and other attributes used by HTMheLp in the generated WinHelp file can be customized by editing the file STYLES.HDF.

This file can be found in the HTMheLp application directory. It is written in HyperAct's HyperMedia Definition Format (HDF). For documentation on the HDF format, see the online help in HyperAct's HLPDK/PA product.

The only documentation provided for this feature is the internal documentation in STYLES.HDF.


Converting to OS/2 IPF

Users of HyperAct's HLPDK/PA can use the HLPDK Help Compiler (helpc.exe) to generate an OS/2 IPF version of the help file.

To perform the conversion, follow these steps :

•	Convert the HTML files to WinHelp as you normally would.

•	Run helpc in the directory where the WinHelp file was created with the following command line :
HELPC /OS2 /I <HTMheLp directory> <WinHelp-base-name>
Where <HTMheLp directory> is the directory where HTMheLp was installed, and <WinHelp-base-name> is the name of the generated WinHelp file without the extension.

•	Run the OS/2 IPF Compiler (IPFC) in the same directory with the following command line :
IPFC /INF <WinHelp-base-name>

This should result in a file with the extension INF and the same base name as the WinHelp file in the current directory.

For example, if HTMheLp was installed in c:\htmhelp, and the WinHelp output file is c:\mydir\myhelp.hlp, you should enter the following sequence of commands on the command line, in the c:\mydir directory :

•	HELPC /OS2 /IC:\HTMHELP MYHELP

•	IPFC /INF MYHELP


Trouble Shooting

Manual Conversion of Images

Image files referenced in the HTML files are automatically converted by HTMheLp to the BMP format, which is required by the Microsoft Help Compiler. However, if the image is not in one of the supported formats, you will need to convert it manualy using a 3rd-party tool to the BMP format before starting the HTML files conversion.

In order for HTMheLp to be able to locate the converted image, it must be located in the same directory as the original image, and must have the same base name.

For example, if you manually converted D:\PAGES\MYPICTURE.XBM, the converted image must be located at D:\PAGES\MYPICTURE.BMP.


Credits

HTMheLp was written by Yaniv Golan.

HTMheLp is written in Borland Delphi.

HTMheLp uses technology from HyperAct's HLPDK/PA product. Portions of the product were written by Loewy Ron of HyperAct, which also provided many suggestions and extensive technical support.

This help file was written using the Olson / HyperAct HyperText Suite.