Help System For Python Applications

[redefined.horizons]

I did some searching for this topic, but couldn't find anything. A
search of this list only turned up an old post from 2002.

I'd like to add a comprehesive help system to my Python Application. By
"comprehensive" I mean regular "read-like-a-book" help and context
sensitive help that can be launched from the application.

Is there an existing system in Python that would support this, or would
I need to start from scratch?

On a related note, is there a way to fire up Adobe's Acorbat Reader or
and Web Browser from Python and have the external application open a
specified PDF or HTML file? (For example, I want to open the file
"myhelp.pdf" in reader from Python code.)

Could you give me an example of the code that would do this?

Thanks for all the help on my help. :]

Scott Huey

[johnzenger]

re****************@gmail.com wrote:

On a related note, is there a way to fire up Adobe's Acorbat Reader or
and Web Browser from Python and have the external application open a
specified PDF or HTML file? (For example, I want to open the file
"myhelp.pdf" in reader from Python code.)

The webbrowser module lets you open any page. HTML will open in the
user's default web browser; PDF opens in Acrobat (at least on my
Windows machine).

import webbrowser
webbrowser.open(r"C:\\helpfile.pdf")

[Harold Fellermann]

I usually go for the webbrowser package that allows me to launch the
systems webbrowser and opens my html help files. It is really simple:

import webbrowser
webbrowser.open("file:///path_to/help.html#topic")

and thats all there is to do.

- harold -

[bruno at modulix]

re****************@gmail.com wrote:

I did some searching for this topic, but couldn't find anything. A
search of this list only turned up an old post from 2002.

I'd like to add a comprehesive help system to my Python Application. By
"comprehensive" I mean regular "read-like-a-book" help and context
sensitive help that can be launched from the application.

Is there an existing system in Python that would support this, or would
I need to start from scratch?
This depends on the system and UI, so their can be no one-size-fits-all
builtin solution. Hint : look at how other programs using the same
system and UI solved the problem.
On a related note, is there a way to fire up Adobe's Acorbat Reader or
and Web Browser from Python and have the external application open a
specified PDF or HTML file? (For example, I want to open the file
"myhelp.pdf" in reader from Python code.)

os.system() may be a good start.

HTH
--
bruno desthuilliers
python -c "print '@'.join(['.'.join([w[::-1] for w in p.split('.')]) for
p in 'o****@xiludom.gro'.split('@')])"

[redefined.horizons]

Thanks for the responses. I'll check out the web browser module, and
I'll make sure that I release any work ona help system to the
community.

Scott Huey

bruno at modulix wrote:

re****************@gmail.com wrote:

I did some searching for this topic, but couldn't find anything. A
search of this list only turned up an old post from 2002.

I'd like to add a comprehesive help system to my Python Application. By
"comprehensive" I mean regular "read-like-a-book" help and context
sensitive help that can be launched from the application.

Is there an existing system in Python that would support this, or would
I need to start from scratch?

This depends on the system and UI, so their can be no one-size-fits-all
builtin solution. Hint : look at how other programs using the same
system and UI solved the problem.

On a related note, is there a way to fire up Adobe's Acorbat Reader or
and Web Browser from Python and have the external application open a
specified PDF or HTML file? (For example, I want to open the file
"myhelp.pdf" in reader from Python code.)

os.system() may be a good start.

HTH
--
bruno desthuilliers
python -c "print '@'.join(['.'.join([w[::-1] for w in p.split('.')]) for
p in 'o****@xiludom.gro'.split('@')])"

[Paul Boddie]

bruno at modulix wrote:

re****************@gmail.com wrote:

On a related note, is there a way to fire up Adobe's Acorbat Reader or
and Web Browser from Python and have the external application open a
specified PDF or HTML file? (For example, I want to open the file
"myhelp.pdf" in reader from Python code.)

os.system() may be a good start.

Take a look at the desktop module for a partial solution:

http://www.python.org/pypi/desktop

An example:

import desktop
desktop.open("itools-0.9.0.pdf")

Apparently, os.startfile will expose (or already exposes) other
parameters which may specify that the file be printed, amongst other
things. I may well add such functionality to the desktop module, since
various non-Windows systems have supported such things for a while.

Paul

[redefined.horizons]

Thanks for the link Paul. It looks like you've done some good work on
that module.

I'll check it out.

Scott

Paul Boddie wrote:

bruno at modulix wrote:

re****************@gmail.com wrote:

On a related note, is there a way to fire up Adobe's Acorbat Reader or
and Web Browser from Python and have the external application open a
specified PDF or HTML file? (For example, I want to open the file
"myhelp.pdf" in reader from Python code.)

os.system() may be a good start.

Take a look at the desktop module for a partial solution:

http://www.python.org/pypi/desktop

An example:

import desktop
desktop.open("itools-0.9.0.pdf")

Apparently, os.startfile will expose (or already exposes) other
parameters which may specify that the file be printed, amongst other
things. I may well add such functionality to the desktop module, since
various non-Windows systems have supported such things for a while.

Paul

[BartlebyScrivener]

At the commandline, run:

pydoc -g

In the interpreter:

help("modulename")

or help ()

for interactive.

Are you on Windows? Using ActivePython? Or the Python.org download?

rd

[bruno at modulix]

BartlebyScrivener wrote:

At the commandline, run:

pydoc -g

In the interpreter:

help("modulename")

or help ()

for interactive.

This is developper doc. I think the OP's talking about end-user doc.

--
bruno desthuilliers
python -c "print '@'.join(['.'.join([w[::-1] for w in p.split('.')]) for
p in 'o****@xiludom.gro'.split('@')])"