helpfile for vb app

[SStory]

Didn't know where to ask this.

I have spent hours trying to understand how to create a help file in .NET.

I finally found that hcw.exe is still included but when I go to its help it
says intentionally blank, this utilility no longer supported, please use
html help compiler.....

What does this mean? Is there no easy way to make a help file for my VB app
in VB.NET?

thanks,

Shane

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* "SStory" <Th*******@TAKEOUTTHISSPAMBUSTERsofthome.net> scripsit:

I have spent hours trying to understand how to create a help file in .NET.

I finally found that hcw.exe is still included but when I go to its help it
says intentionally blank, this utilility no longer supported, please use
html help compiler.....

What does this mean? Is there no easy way to make a help file for my VB app
in VB.NET?

AFAIR the 101 VB.NET samples included a sample for creating a HTML Help
help file and associate it with e VB.NET application:

<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=08E3D5F8-033D-420B-A3B1-3074505C03F3&displaylang=en>

--
Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[SStory]

Well, I think you need the HTML Help Workshop don't you?

But I haven't been able to find it and only the hhc.exe compiler comes with
..NET

Am I right?

What is this H2? Should I be doing it with that?

If I just need the HTML Help Workshop do you know where to get it?

Shane

"Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]" <hi***************@gmx.at> wrote in message
news:eR*************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

* "SStory" <Th*******@TAKEOUTTHISSPAMBUSTERsofthome.net> scripsit:

I have spent hours trying to understand how to create a help file in ..NET.
I finally found that hcw.exe is still included but when I go to its help it says intentionally blank, this utilility no longer supported, please use
html help compiler.....

What does this mean? Is there no easy way to make a help file for my VB app in VB.NET?
AFAIR the 101 VB.NET samples included a sample for creating a HTML Help
help file and associate it with e VB.NET application:

<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...D5F8-033D-420B
-A3B1-3074505C03F3&displaylang=en>
--
Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* "SStory" <Th*******@TAKEOUTTHISSPAMBUSTERsofthome.net> scripsit:

Well, I think you need the HTML Help Workshop don't you?

But I haven't been able to find it and only the hhc.exe compiler comes with
.NET

Am I right?

What is this H2? Should I be doing it with that?

If I just need the HTML Help Workshop do you know where to get it?

The HTML Help Workshop is included with some versions of VS.NET.

It's a free tool, you can download it from the Microsoft Homepage:

Microsoft HTML Help Downloads
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/htmlhelp/html/hwMicrosoftHTMLHelpDownloads.asp>

--
Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[CarpetMnuncher!]

ms html help sucks
try c1 studio help its a little better but it sucks too

"SStory" <Th*******@TAKEOUTTHISSPAMBUSTERsofthome.net> wrote in message
news:eN**************@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...

Well, I think you need the HTML Help Workshop don't you?

But I haven't been able to find it and only the hhc.exe compiler comes with .NET

Am I right?

What is this H2? Should I be doing it with that?

If I just need the HTML Help Workshop do you know where to get it?

Shane

"Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]" <hi***************@gmx.at> wrote in message
news:eR*************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

* "SStory" <Th*******@TAKEOUTTHISSPAMBUSTERsofthome.net> scripsit:

I have spent hours trying to understand how to create a help file in .NET.
I finally found that hcw.exe is still included but when I go to its help

it

says intentionally blank, this utilility no longer supported, please

use html help compiler.....

What does this mean? Is there no easy way to make a help file for my

VB app in VB.NET?
AFAIR the 101 VB.NET samples included a sample for creating a HTML Help
help file and associate it with e VB.NET application:

<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...D5F8-033D-420B -A3B1-3074505C03F3&displaylang=en>

--
Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Cor]

Herfried,

I think you should tell some additions when you give this link.

People who get this information can get a bad thought about the quality from
Visual.Studio.Net when the get this and maybe stop with VB.net because they
think that has the same poor quality.

Just my thought,

Cor

Microsoft HTML Help Downloads

<http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...-us/htmlhelp/h
tml/hwMicrosoftHTMLHelpDownloads.asp>

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* "Cor" <no*@non.com> scripsit:

People who get this information can get a bad thought about the quality from
Visual.Studio.Net when the get this and maybe stop with VB.net because they
think that has the same poor quality.

WHY?!

--
Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* "CarpetMnuncher!" <Ba*@mail.com> scripsit:

ms html help sucks
try c1 studio help its a little better but it sucks too

Most programs for creating help files suck, but HTML Help Workshop is
IMO not that bad for small help projects.

--
Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Cor]

Hi Herfried,
Not in the same way, but look at the answer from carpetMnucher, you know
about my feeling about this product, I will not be that hard, but something
stops me to use it.

And therefore a extra row from you, by instance, "this is not a
Visual.Studio.Net product" will clear a lot.

People who get this information can get a bad thought about the quality from Visual.Studio.Net when the get this and maybe stop with VB.net because they think that has the same poor quality.

WHY?!

But just my thought,
Feel free to do it in the way you like.

Cor

[Pete Lees]

Shane,

What is this H2? Should I be doing it with that?

Microsoft Help 2.0 (.HxS) is the format in which the online help for
Visual Studio .NET and some other developer products (notably MSDN) is
delivered. In January 2003 Microsoft announced that it had decided not
to make Help 2.0 available as a general help platform (see
http://helpware.net/mshelp2/msannounce.htm#post2). The current
recommendation is to use HTML Help 1.x (.chm) unless you want to
integrate your content into the online help for VS .NET -- in which
case it's necessary to use Microsoft Help 2.0.

If you decide that you want to go ahead and create a help file in Help
2.0 format, see these pages for information on how to get started:

http://www.mshelpwiki.com/index.php?page=Help2
http://helpware.net/mshelp2/h20.htm
http://helpware.net/mshelp2/h2tutorial.htm

Otherwise, it would be better to download HTML Help Workshop and
create an HTML Help 1.x file. For a useful tutorial on how to use this
program, see:

http://www.mvps.org/htmlhelpcenter/h...tutorials.html

And for some resources describing how to connect an HTML Help file to
a .NET application, see:

http://www.mshelpwiki.com/index.php?...MLHelpArticles

--
Pete (Microsoft Help MVP)

[SStory]

Thanks for all the info.

I finally got the VB Resource Kit and you can get all the Component One
controls for free and bonus software is some sort of Help Authoring kit.
Haven't had time to check it out but says it will do H1 and H2.

I was starting to think that maybe H2 was only for Visual Studio.

Might I ask one more question.

Many folks talk about the XML commenter for C# and VB and that allows you to
do autohelp file--is that just auto help for like a control that others
would use?

Thanks,

Shane
"Pete Lees" <PD*****@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:c8**************************@posting.google.c om...

Shane,

What is this H2? Should I be doing it with that?

Microsoft Help 2.0 (.HxS) is the format in which the online help for
Visual Studio .NET and some other developer products (notably MSDN) is
delivered. In January 2003 Microsoft announced that it had decided not
to make Help 2.0 available as a general help platform (see
http://helpware.net/mshelp2/msannounce.htm#post2). The current
recommendation is to use HTML Help 1.x (.chm) unless you want to
integrate your content into the online help for VS .NET -- in which
case it's necessary to use Microsoft Help 2.0.

If you decide that you want to go ahead and create a help file in Help
2.0 format, see these pages for information on how to get started:

http://www.mshelpwiki.com/index.php?page=Help2
http://helpware.net/mshelp2/h20.htm
http://helpware.net/mshelp2/h2tutorial.htm

Otherwise, it would be better to download HTML Help Workshop and
create an HTML Help 1.x file. For a useful tutorial on how to use this
program, see:

http://www.mvps.org/htmlhelpcenter/h...tutorials.html

And for some resources describing how to connect an HTML Help file to
a .NET application, see:

http://www.mshelpwiki.com/index.php?...MLHelpArticles

--
Pete (Microsoft Help MVP)

[SStory]

Ok, I have my helpfile made.

I put help providers on everything and the name of the chm file in each.

I chose Topic and placed the name of the original HTML file in the keyword
part.
Works most of the time but sometimes doesn't and seems slow to load.

Any suggestions?

Also how can I do what's this help?

Is there anyway to provide help for Browse for folders of should I just
allow MS default help?

Thanks,

Shane

"Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]" <hi***************@gmx.at> wrote in message
news:eR*************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

* "SStory" <Th*******@TAKEOUTTHISSPAMBUSTERsofthome.net> scripsit:

I have spent hours trying to understand how to create a help file in ..NET.
I finally found that hcw.exe is still included but when I go to its help it says intentionally blank, this utilility no longer supported, please use
html help compiler.....

What does this mean? Is there no easy way to make a help file for my VB app in VB.NET?
AFAIR the 101 VB.NET samples included a sample for creating a HTML Help
help file and associate it with e VB.NET application:

<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...D5F8-033D-420B
-A3B1-3074505C03F3&displaylang=en>
--
Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>