.chm or .hlp

[Spacen Jasset]

Is it best to go the .chm ( compiled help way) rather than using .hlp files?

[Pete Lees [MVP]]

Spacen,

Post by Spacen Jasset
Is it best to go the .chm ( compiled help way) rather than using .hlp files?

Microsoft itself has used HTML Help almost exclusively since Windows 98 was
released and, although there are no compelling reasons to shun the old
WinHelp format if that is your preference, most help authors choose the
newer of the two formats. That said, there are a few deployment issues if
you want to use HTML Help with Windows 95 or Windows NT4, as described here:

http://www.mvps.org/htmlhelpcenter/htmlhelp/hhsysreq.html
http://www.workwrite.com/helpthink/deploy_chandler.htm

If you are targeting these two platforms then you may want to err on the
side of caution and go with WinHelp rather than HTML Help.

Here are some other factors to consider:

1) There are some usability improvements in HTML Help that most users seem
to like. The ever-present navigation pane at the left of the help window is
probably the best example of this, but there are others (superior search
facilities, seamless integration with Web-based content, etc.).

2) Because the underlying format of .chm files is HTML, it's relatively easy
to publish the material on a Web site as well as in a help file. Also, you
can author your content using any tool capable of outputting HTML.

3) Virtually any technology that you can use in a Web page can also be used
in an HTML Help file: Flash, DHTML, CSS, ActiveX, JavaScript, XML (to some
extent), and so on. Although it's relatively straightforward to include
dynamic, multimedia content in a WinHelp topic, the range of options is more
limited.

4) There are certain respects in which WinHelp is superior to HTML Help:
speed of opening, feature-rich popup windows (native HTML Help popups are
text only, but there are ways to work around this), auto-sizing windows,
annotations facility.

The following articles describe the range of help formats available and
provide advice on which to choose:

http://www.cherryleaf.com/stateofhelp1.htm
http://helpware.net/htmlhelp/basics.htm

It may be worth noting that Microsoft has stopped development work on both
WinHelp and HTML Help; the focus of help development at Microsoft has moved
on to the help system for "Longhorn", which is the successor to Windows XP
scheduled for release in 2005/6. The chances are that converting an HTML
Help file to Longhorn Help will be somewhat easier than converting a WinHelp
file (Longhorn Help will be XML-based).

--
Pete (Microsoft Help MVP)

[Rick Stone]

Hi Jasset

First off, both formats are compiled help. .HLP is compiled from a Rich Text
Format (.RTF) file (or files) while .CHM is compiled from a collection of
HTML files.

Which format is "Best" depends on a few different factors. .CHM is certainly
the newest of the two formats. Assuming that you are supplying the help file
to accompany an application, I believe each type is connected to the
application in similar, yet distinctly different ways. So from this
standpoint, the format may be somewhat dictated by your developers. .CHM
format files depend on a reasonably recent installation of Internet
Explorer. Version 3 or above I think, with version 4 recommended, while .HLP
format files are blissfully unaware of any such restriction or requirement.

Hopefully this helps a bit... Rick :)

Post by Spacen Jasset
Is it best to go the .chm ( compiled help way) rather than using .hlp files?