Can you break a single HTML file into multiple pages like PEGHELP for Pocket PC does?

[SA Dev]

Hi,

I just finished writing something to make a help file for a Pocket PC
device. The Pocket PC device allows not really showing the .HTM file as a
long single file, but instead uses a tag to suppress the file to only
display one topic at a time. It then uses bookmarks to jump around the
file. I realize that this could be done with multiple HTML files, but I was
hoping there was some way to do it in a single file somehow. Does anyone
have any ideas or an example? Maybe I need to look into the MS CHM file
format. Any ideas?

Thanks,

SA Dev

[Philipp Lenssen]

SA Dev wrote:

I just finished writing something to make a help file for a Pocket PC
device. The Pocket PC device allows not really showing the .HTM file
as a long single file, but instead uses a tag to suppress the file to
only display one topic at a time. It then uses bookmarks to jump
around the file. I realize that this could be done with multiple
HTML files, but I was hoping there was some way to do it in a single
file somehow. Does anyone have any ideas or an example? Maybe I
need to look into the MS CHM file format. Any ideas?

I suppose you could store the file in your-XML, or XHTML, and use XPath
conversion or XSLT to write different HTML files to disk. You could use
PHP5, or ASP, or something like that. I wonder why the Pocket PC device
is not smart enough to split the files up itself. After all no one says
a single HTML file must be displayed in a single chunk, I believe the
browser may take the freedom to format according to the medium
restrictions -- not necessarily something the author of the web-page
should do.
--
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http://blog.outer-court.com

[jerry gitomer]

Philipp Lenssen wrote:

SA Dev wrote:

I just finished writing something to make a help file for a Pocket PC
device. The Pocket PC device allows not really showing the .HTM file
as a long single file, but instead uses a tag to suppress the file to
only display one topic at a time. It then uses bookmarks to jump
around the file. I realize that this could be done with multiple
HTML files, but I was hoping there was some way to do it in a single
file somehow. Does anyone have any ideas or an example? Maybe I
need to look into the MS CHM file format. Any ideas?

I suppose you could store the file in your-XML, or XHTML, and use XPath
conversion or XSLT to write different HTML files to disk. You could use
PHP5, or ASP, or something like that. I wonder why the Pocket PC device
is not smart enough to split the files up itself. After all no one says
a single HTML file must be displayed in a single chunk, I believe the
browser may take the freedom to format according to the medium
restrictions -- not necessarily something the author of the web-page
should do.

Well, you could build a single file and use embedded links for
navigation. Put a table of contents at the top of the file and
make each topic (including the closing "Return to Top")
completely fill its last screen -- pad with <br> if necessary.

[SA Dev]

Hi Jerry,

Well, you could build a single file and use embedded links for
navigation. Put a table of contents at the top of the file and
make each topic (including the closing "Return to Top")
completely fill its last screen -- pad with <br> if necessary.

But how can I make the current topic the only thing listed in the window, so
that if you are on a specific topic, you can't scroll up or down past the
topic you are on?

Thanks,

SA Dev

[jerry gitomer]

SA Dev wrote:

Hi Jerry,

Well, you could build a single file and use embedded links for
navigation. Put a table of contents at the top of the file and
make each topic (including the closing "Return to Top")
completely fill its last screen -- pad with <br> if necessary.

But how can I make the current topic the only thing listed in the window, so
that if you are on a specific topic, you can't scroll up or down past the
topic you are on?

Thanks,

SA Dev

Ooops,
Sorry I missed that requirement in your original post -- You can't.

I think you are going to have to make a choice between one HTML
file per topic and the large number of files that will result in
not being able to stop the user from scrolling to a next or
prior page.

[SA Dev]

Hi Jerry,

Sorry I missed that requirement in your original post -- You can't.
I think you are going to have to make a choice between one HTML
file per topic and the large number of files that will result in
not being able to stop the user from scrolling to a next or
prior page.

Thanks - that is what I needed to know! I supposed I'll have to figure out
how CHM files work.

Have a great day,

SA Dev