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- ****************************************************************************
- * *
- * ISoft D&M *
- * POB. 5517 *
- * Coralville IA 52241 *
- * U.S.A *
- * *
- ****************************************************************************
-
- The Help Engine Development Kit is a system that allows you to create
- hyper-text database help systems with topics and hot links, using a simple
- text editor and the help compiler.
-
- The help databases can be distributed (free of charge) with the HELPENG or
- HE help engine display programs.
-
- The help database format is release to the public domain, if you own the
- Paradox Engine you can use the help databases with your own programs.
-
- Borland Pascal Users can purchase the Help Engine Source Code even
- for Applications that do not use the paradox engine, using the Native Mem
- format.
-
- The helpC compiler that is part of this development kit includes the
- ability to create Windows Help source files from the same source the
- dos help sources are created!. Write your help once, and create help
- databases for Dos, Windows and DESQview/X !
-
- Supported Formats :
-
- Native(PX), Native (Mem), Win30, Win31, QuickHelp,
- THELP, TVHC, POPHELP, DESQview/X
-
- Contact ISoft D&M if you want to purchase the WINTEXT UI library for
- Turbo Pascal programs, and use the help engine window in your pascal
- programs.
-
- Related Topics :
- Registration
- Contact
- File List
- Credits
- Help Engine
- Help Compiler
- Quick Start
-
-
- The Help Engine Development Kit (HLPDK) is a shareware product,
- if you find this product valuable, please register it.
- This section describes the reasons you should register.
-
- By registering you will receive a complete discussion
- of the help engine features, and many examples of usage. You will receive a
- diskette with the latest HLPDK version, and DPMI (dos protected mode)
- versions of the help compiler and engines!.(The memory version of the
- help engine can display huge databases only in the protected mode
- version).
-
- Your registration will help us to create the next versions of HLPDK, that
- will include more options, and features, some of them might even be your
- enhancement requests!.
-
- A point to consider - If you want to create Windows Help source files,
- you will have to purchase a word processor that can output RTF files,
- the WORD for Windows 2.0 package, for example, is listed at around $500!.
-
- Related Topics :
- Contact
- Overview
-
- Please contact :
-
- ISoft D&M,
- P.O.B 5517
- Coralville IA 52241,
- U.S.A
-
- To contact the author directly :
-
- Contact : Loewy Ron,
- 9 Haneveem st.
- Herzeliya, 46465
- ISRAEL.
-
- e-mail address : CompuServe - 100274,162
-
- Related Topics :
- Regsiteration
- Overview
-
- This package contains the following files :
-
- HELPENG.EXE - Help Engine.
- HELPC.EXE - Help Compiler.
- HE.EXE - Mem Help Engine.
- HLPDK.DOC - This file.
- HELPC.DOC - Help Compiler documentation
- HELPDEMO.HDF - Demo Help Project.
- 2NDDEMO.HDF - Demo Help Project - file 2.
- HELPDEMO.HLP - Demo Help Project file for Windows WINHELP.
- HLPDK.REG - Registration file.
- HLPDK.HDF - Help Development Kit hypertext help database source.
- HLPDK.HDT - Help Development Kit help database file.
- HLPDK.SET - Help Development Kit help database file.
- HLPDKTOP.* - Help Development Kit help database files.
- HLPDKLNK.* - Help Development Kit help database files.
- PROGRAMS.TXT - ISoft D&M shareware products description.
-
- Related Topics :
- Overview
- Quick Start
-
- HELPENG, HELPC were written using Turbo Pascal 6.0, and Borland Pascal 7.0,
- Paradox Engine 2.0, and Paradox Engine 3.0, 3.01.
- (Trademarks of Borland International).
-
- Windows, Microsoft, HC and Quick Help are trademarks or copyrights
- of Microsoft Corp.
-
- The HELPENG program was written using the WINTEXT UI library,
- (c) 1991,93 Loewy Ron.
-
- THELP, HL and TVHC are Trademarks or copyrights Borland International.
-
- POPHELP is a copyright of TurboPower Software.
-
- TVHC support, and other ideas were suggested by MunLeong Chan.
-
- Parts of the Help Engines were generated using Ron Loewy's WTGEN and dbGen
- CASE code generators.
-
- Parts of the Help Compiler were generated using Ron Loewy's dbGen database
- code generator.
-
- Yaniv Golan helped me with beta-testing, debugging and suggestions.
-
- John Murphy notified me of the paragraph formtting difficulties that
- lead to the .PARAGRAPH .END-PARAGRAPH formatting capabilities.
-
- DESQview/X is a trademark of Quarterdeck Office Systems.
-
- MDVXHELP is a copyright (1992) of Daniel J. Bodoh. I have used his
- excelent documentation of DESQview/X help format to generate code
- to this environment.
-
- The HC31 problem with characters with ordinal values biggen than 127
- was solved thanks to Mr. Lars Fosdal of Norway.
-
- Related Topics :
- Overview
-
- From the command line enter HELPC HELPDEMO to compile the demo help database.
-
- After the compilation process is ended, enter HELPENG HELPDEMO to browse the
- demo help database.
-
- If you want to compile for windows :
-
- from the command line enter HELPC HELPDEMO /W31
- and after that HC31 HELPDEMO
- (HC31 is the Microsoft Help Compiler)
- from windows, open the HELPDEMO.HLP file from the windows help engine.
- (Notice - if you do not have the HC help compiler from windows, we have
- included a compiled version of HELPDEMO (HELPDEMO.HLP) so you will be
- able to feel the quality of the output that can be generated, and decide
- if you want to purchase the HC31 program (Included with the SDK, BC++,
- TPW, BP and probably some other packages), or download it from one of the
- sites Microsoft had uploaded it to).
-
- If you use windows 3.0, or want your help file to be compatible with
- winHelp 3.0 use :
- HELPC /W30 HELPDEMO
- HC HELPDEMO
-
- To compile for THELP use :
- HELPC /TH+ HELPDEMO
- HL -x -e100 -p -i -oHELPDEMO.TPH HELPDEMO.HL
-
- To compile for QuickHelp :
- HELPC /QH+ HELPDEMO
- HELPMAKE -e15 -oHELPDEMO.QH HELPDEMO.SRC
-
- To compile for TVHC :
- HELPC /TV+ HELPDEMO
- TVHC HELPDEMO.TXT
-
- To compile for POPHELP :
- HELPC /PH+ HELPDEMO
- MAKEHELP /Q HELPDEMO
-
- To compile for DESQview/X :
- HELPC /XD+ HELPDEMO
- MDVXHELP HELPDEMO.HLP @HELPDEMO.LST
- COPY HELPDEMO.HLP d:\DVX\HELP
-
- To compile for Native Mem Format :
- HELPC /MT+ HELPDEMO
- (Use HE HELPDEMO to view that database).
-
- Related Topics :
- Overview
- File List
-
- To start the help engine program enter HELPENG on the command line, and
- choose the help database you want to view from the list box. Use the Tab key
- to cycle between hot-link words, and press Enter to go to that link.
-
- If you know the name of the SET file of the database you want to activate, you
- can enter it on the command line, and the help engine will display it.
-
- If you have a mouse, you can use it to point at the hi-lighted links, and
- activate them by pressing the left mouse button.
-
- Press the ALT-T key combination to choose from a list of TOPICS in the
- database, Press ALT-B to go back to the previous displayed TOPIC, Press
- ALT-X to exit the help engine.
-
- The exit command can be given by pressing the right mouse button.
-
- Use F10 to open the menubar, and use the arrow keys to navigate the
- options. When you find the option you are interested in, Use the Enter
- key to execute it, or the Esc key to cancel. The menubar can be navigated
- using the mouse as well.
-
- To create a new help database please refer to the HELPC documentation
- file.
-
- If you want to use the Native Mem Format Databases, Please use the supplied
- HE.EXE program.
-
- Related Topics :
-
- Trouble Shooting
- Overview
-
- If you receive some kind of an error message while using the help development
- kit please refer to this section.
-
- tableOps: xxxx error message :
- This message is generated by the Paradox Engine if an internal error occurs,
- if you receive a message that is not understood (e.g. Table is busy),
- please try one of the following :
- 1. Try running the Help Compiler or the Help Engine with another input and
- notice if the problem exists, if it does, turn to the next entry,
- otherwise try to see what the difference between the inputs is.
- 2. Check your free memory, try to move some TSR's from memory, or use the
- protected mode compiler/engine available with the registered version.
- 3. Check if you have loaded dos SHARE program, it is advised to use SHARE
- with programs that use the Paradox Engine. If you receive a table busy
- error, try to see if you have another program that uses the same table
- in another session (Windows/DESQview etc..).
- 4. PANIC - Please contact the distibuter/author for additional help.
-
- Microsoft's HC31 help compiler will generate a error in RTF file error :
-
- 1. Re-compile using HELPC 4.0+. This should solve the problem, if the problem
- still exists - please try steps 2 and 3, and notify the author.
- 2. Use a binary disk editor to look at the character at the position x - 1
- in the RTF file (where x is the error position reported by HC31).
- 3. Try to replace that charqacter from a special PC oem character to a
- "standard" ascii character (such as *). If the problem still occurs,
- please contact ISoft D&M/The author, otherwise - you probably came
- accross a character that HC31 can not handle. In that case - try using
- HC300b (the one that generates winHelp 3.0 format), or delete these
- characters from your source HDF file.
-
- Borland's HL help linker will generate a FE02: Out Of Memory error :
- 1. Re-compile using HELPC V3.0+, to include ;INDEX directives after the
- screen's definitions.
-
- Borland's HL help linker will complain about undefined context numbers :
- 1. You probably have a contents.h file in the current directory, that hl
- tries to use to bind the help topics to Borland's IDE on-line help,
- try renaming this file, and re-compile with HL.
-
- HelpC will not create the database when compiling to Native Mem (/MT+) :
- 1. Try compiling with report generation on (/R+) to Native Paradox
- (/PX+) format. If there are errors, consult the HELPC.LST file, fix
- them, and re-try.
- 2. If the database is BIG, you might not have enough memory - Remember that
- Native Mem tables are generated in memory. You will have to use the
- HelpCX protected mode compiler (Available with the registered version).
-
- HelpEng/HE will complain on an old-database when tring to open a help
- database with it :
- 1. Re-Compile the database using helpC.
-
- HelpEng/HE will complain on un-supported database format, when trying to
- open a database :
- 1. HelpEng can not display Native Mem databases, and HE can not display
- Native PX databases. Use the other help engine supplied.
-
- HE will not be able to open a Native Mem database :
- 1. Use the protected mode HEX help engine. (Available for registered users).
-
- We have encountered some users that ran into problems, because they did
- not use the dos SHARE program. We advise that you will always load the
- SHARE program in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
-
- Related Topics :
- Overview
- Help Engine
- Help Compiler
- The HELPC help compiler is a dos command line program that receives a
- help definition file (.HDF) and produce a help database.
-
- The helpC command line is :
-
- HELPC source.fil [/Htopic-table-name] [/Llink-table-name] [/Ddata-file-name]
- [/R-] [/ST-] [/CS+] [/EP+]
- [/W+] [/W30] [/W31] [TH+] [/QH+] [/TV+] [/PH+] [/XD+]
- [/PX+] [/MT+]
- The output of the compiler is a set data file called source.SET, that
- includes the names of the other help database components.
-
- Please Notice - if the /W+ /W30 or /W31 switch is defined, the compiler
- will generate a .HPJ and .RTF files that can be used with the Microsoft
- HC (v3.00b) or HC31 help compiler, and output a .HLP windows help file!.
-
- By default the help compiler produces a help cross reference report on the
- topics/links used in the database, if the /R- switch is set, no cross-ref
- report will be generated, and no database integrity indicators will be
- given.
-
-
- IMPORTANT - Scan the output cross reference report for links defined, that
- are not defined as topics!
-
- Notice - An additional switch is available that instructs the help compiler
- to indicate it's parse and code generation progress. Use the /EP+ switch to
- see that the helpC compiler is active. Please understand that the compile
- process can take a long time, on complex help databases. This switch does
- nothing more that ensure to you that the help compiler is alive.
-
- The /ST switch defines if the topic name defined in the .TOPIC command
- can include embeded spaces. By default this switch is set to /ST- (No
- embedded spaces).
-
- The /CS switch turns Topics and Links case sensativity to ON. Use this
- switch with care - Only if you must have a lower/mixed case index in THELP
- or POPHELP use this switch. Notice that help databases that compile fine
- with case sensativity set to off, might fail to do so in case sensativity
- on. By deafult this switch is set to off (-).
-
- The /XD switch generates code to the MDVXHELP help compiler, available
- free in the file DVXHLP10.ZIP on the internet. When this switch is given,
- a set of cover and section files is generated, as well as a response
- file that should be used to compile the help database.
-
- Related Topics :
- Overview
- Command Line
- Help Engine
- Technical Documentation
-
- The compiler switches are defined on the command line. These switches can
- be placed before and after the source file name. The compiler will look for
- a file named HELPC.CFG in the current directory, and process it before any
- command line switches are processed.
-
- Switches on the command line will over-ride switches set before them, on the
- command line or in one of the response options file.
-
- Response option files can be specified by prefixing their name with a @ sign.
-
-
- Examples :
-
- If our HELPC.CFG file, in the current directory is :
-
- /W31
- /R-
-
- And we compile using HELPC HELPDEMO
-
- The helpdemo.hdf file will be compiled, with the target set to winhelp 3.1
- and no cross-reference report.
-
- Compile using HELPC HELPDEMO /r+
-
- Will create winhelp 3.1 sources, but a report will be generated.
-
- Compile using HELPC /w- HELPDEMO
-
- Will generate native format help database, no report is generated.
-
- If we have a file called MYSWITCH.CFG with the following lines :
-
- /TH+
- /ST-
- /CS+
-
- And we compile using HELPC @MYSWITCH.CFG HELPDEMO
-
- A THELP source, using Long Topic Names, with case sensativity will be
- generated, no cross reference report is generated. (HELPC.CFG contains /r-)
-
-
-
- The Help Engine database is a combination of text that is read by the user,
- and a Topic and Links database that allows the user to view the topics
- he is interested in, using hyper-text methods.
-
-
- Each help database is built of 4 file components :
-
- 1. Help Data File - this file contains the raw text data.
- 2. Topic Index File - a database table that contains the topic names, and
- the references to the topics in the Data File.
- 3. Links Index File - a database table that contains the list of links
- defined for each topic, and positional data.
- 4. Set Data File - a database configuration file that contains the
- names of the 3 components defined above, and some
- additional information.
-
- Version 1.x is the bare-bones version that includes only the basic
- operations needed from a hyper-text database, this version is implemented
- using the Paradox Engine V3.0 to manage the Topic and Link index tables.
-
- Version 2.x has a new field in the topic table - the title field, help
- databases that were compiled with V1.x will not be executed by version
- 2.x, they will have to be re-compiled!.
-
- Version 3.x fields have different length - the databases have to be
- re-compiled.
-
- Version 5.0+ has a new entry in the help set file, database have to be
- re-compiled, ot the value 128 should be added in the last line of the help
- set file, and the version number should be changed to 5.0.
-
- The format of the help database is released to the public domain, if
- you implement a database viewer on this database structure, I would be
- happy to receive a copy ..
-
- Related Topics :
- Help Compiler
- Help Engine
- Help Definition Format
- Topic Index Format
- Links Index Format
- Set File Format
-
-
- The help definition file format is as follows :
-
- | remarks ...
- | remarks ...
- |
- | .ENTRY topic-name
- | [.TITLE optional title for topic]
- | topic text and link reference ..
- | topic text and link reference ..
- | topic text and link reference ..
- | topic text and link reference ..
- | .END-ENTRY
- |
- | remarks ...
- |
- |
- | .ENTRY topic2-name
- | [.PARAGRAPH]
- | topic 2 text and link reference ..
- | topic 2 text and link reference ..
- | topic 2 text and link reference ..
- | [.END-PARAGRAPH]
- | additional topic2 text ...
- | .END-ENTRY
-
-
- As can be seen - lines between the .ENTRY and .END-ENTRY keywords are
- the lines processed by the help compiler, to create the help database,
- every other line is considered a remark, and is not parsed or evaluated by
- the help compiler.
-
- The topic text and link reference lines are simple text lines, with
- special link marks.
-
- A sample will provide the details :
-
- This is a text help line that includes one ~link~link-topic-name~ in it.
-
- This line will be displayed in the help engine program as :
-
- This is a text help line that includes one link in it.
-
- The word "link" will be in a different color then the rest of the line,
- to indicate that this is a link. If the user hi-lights the link, and
- presses Enter (or points the mouse cursor and clicks), the help engine will
- look for a topic called "link-topic-name", and display it.
-
- Browse the HELPDEMO.HDF file for a demo of a help database definition file.
-
- Notes :
-
- 1. The keywords .TOPIC and .END-TOPIC can be used instead of .ENTRY and
- . .END-ENTRY respectivly.
-
- 2. Keywords are NOT case sensitive. (.topic = .TOPIC = .eNTry)
-
- 3. The .TITLE keyword is optional. If no title is defined, the topic name
- is used as a title. (just like in v1.x).
-
- 4. If you want the ~ sign to appear in your help database, use ~~ in your
- help source file. (e.g. "This is a ~~" will be "This is a ~" in the final
- help database.).
-
- 5. The Optional .PARAGRAPH and .END-PARAGRAPH commands in the help topic text,
- specify the start and the end of a paragraph. This feature is currently
- supported only for winhelp sources. This feature is important if you
- want to create long paragraphs that will wrap correctly when a user resizes
- the help window. It is advized ALWAYS to use this feature for paragraphs,
- future versions of the Help Development Kit will allow greater formatting
- control over paragraphs using this mechanism.
-
- 6. When a .PARAGRAPH is issued, a .END-PARAGRAPH MUST be specified at the
- end of the paragraph. These commands must appear as the first words in
- a line. The text after the .PARAGRAPH command is NOT part of the text
- of the help topic.
-
- Additional commands include :
-
- | .TEXTCOLOR, .LINKCOLOR and .LINKHIGH - VGA colors of text and links in normal
- and high (selected) states in the native help format.
-
- The syntax of these commands is :
-
- | .TEXTCOLOR w
-
- or
-
- | .LINKCOLOR x
-
- or
-
- | .LINKHIGH y
-
- Where w, x and y are the color of the text/link, which is a combination of the
- color of the foreground with the color of the background multiplied by 16.
-
- The colors that can be used for both fore and background are :
-
- Black = 0
- Blue = 1
- Green = 2
- Cyan = 3
- Red = 4
- Magenta = 5
- Brown = 6
- LightGray = 7
-
- The colors that can be used only for the foreground are :
-
- DarkGray = 8
- LightBlue = 9
- LightGreen = 10
- LightCyan = 11
- LightRed = 12
- LightMagenta = 13
- Yellow = 14
- White = 15
-
- For example : to set the normal color of a link to light green on blue, use
-
- | .LINKCOLOR 26
-
- where 26 = 10 + 16 * 1. (10 = light green, 1 = blue).
-
- Creating Multiple Source Projects :
-
- Use the .INCLUDE commands in the source of your .HDF file, to include an
- additional source file.
-
- For Example :
-
- .. some stuff
-
- | .include 2ndfile.hdf
-
- .. additional stuff
-
- will process 2NDFILE.HDF in the middle of our source file.
-
- Please notice - .INCLUDE commands can be nested in your source file,
- it is however not recommended to nest them too deep, helpC does not
- close the input file when a .INCLUDEd file is processed, in order to
- minimize help generation time - there is however, a limit on the number
- of open files that can be used by a program - this is a limit set by dos.
-
- GUI Font based targets :
-
- The .FIXEDFONT command is used to define a non proportional font as the
- default font of the help database. Currently the only targets affected
- by this command are windows winHelp v3.x. If you find that your help
- databases are not aligned after they are converted to winHelp format, use
- this command and re-compile. This command has no effect on targets that are
- different from the targets mentioned before.
-
- The .PCFONT command is used to define a font that has the standard pc
- character set (Terminal - in windows). If you convert a text based
- database that uses the PC's special characters, use this command to
- set the default font. This command has no effect on targets that are
- different from the targets mentioned before.
-
- Related Topics :
- Technical Documentation
-
-
- The topic index table format is as follows :
-
- TOPIC - 40 charcters string key - this is the topic "name".
- FILENAME - 38 characters string field - includes the name of the
- help raw data file. (Notice - V1.0 ignores the value of this
- field, it is here for future expansion).
- START - longint (long) field that contains the offset from the data file
- start, to the start of the topics text data, in bytes.
- LEN - integer (int) field that contains the length (in bytes) of the
- text data of the topic.
- TITLE - 50 characters string key - the title of the topic.
-
- Related Topics :
- Technical Documentation
- Links Index Format
-
- The links index table format is as follows :
-
- TOPIC - 40 characters string key - the name of the topic that
- has the link.
- SEQ - integer (int) key - contains the sequential number of
- the link in the topic. (This way you can assign the links
- order in the topic).
- LINK - 40 characters string key - the name of the link topic to
- display if the link is chosen.
- LINE - integer (int) field - the line (from the start of the topic)
- this link is displayed on.
- COL - integer (int) field - the column this link is displayed on.
- TXT - 60 characters string field - the text to display on the line.
-
- Related Topics :
- Technical Documentation
- Topic Index Format
-
- The set file is a text file that contains one entry in each line, using
- the following format :
-
- topic-index-table name
- links-index-table name
- help-raw-data-file name
- number-of-topics
- length-of-file
- version-of-generating-compiler
- link-normal-color
- link-high-color
- text-normal-color
- help-database-engine
-
- The help-database-engine values available today are DEF=Paradox and
- MEM=memory Tables.
-
- Technical Documentation
- Topic Index Format
- Links Index Format
-
-