Linking 2 HLP files

[distant]

Hi there. I'm trying to add some new help pages to an existing
application we use internally. This app comes with it's own OLD.HLP
that we don't have source files for, so I can't edit it directly (I
don't want to try decompiling it as that would be -naughty- and we
have contractors from the company here).

So anyway, I created a new MINE.HLP with it's own CNT and edited
OLD.CNT to try and link them both together. I can see my new pages on
the index and find tabs (not needed on content) but I can't get the
last step together.

When ALT+F1 is hit in the application it sends a call to OLD.HLP for a
topid ID, I've got it calling the right ID but it exists in MINE.HLP
and so isn't finding it. How do I make it find it? Thanks

d

[distant]

Post by distant
Hi there. I'm trying to add some new help pages to an existing
application we use internally. This app comes with it's own OLD.HLP
that we don't have source files for, so I can't edit it directly (I
don't want to try decompiling it as that would be -naughty- and we
have contractors from the company here).
So anyway, I created a new MINE.HLP with it's own CNT and edited
OLD.CNT to try and link them both together. I can see my new pages on
the index and find tabs (not needed on content) but I can't get the
last step together.
When ALT+F1 is hit in the application it sends a call to OLD.HLP for a
topid ID, I've got it calling the right ID but it exists in MINE.HLP
and so isn't finding it. How do I make it find it? Thanks
d

No one can help? :/

d

[Johan Smit]

Post by distant
Hi there. I'm trying to add some new help pages to an existing
application we use internally. This app comes with it's own OLD.HLP
that we don't have source files for, so I can't edit it directly (I
don't want to try decompiling it as that would be -naughty- and we
have contractors from the company here).
So anyway, I created a new MINE.HLP with it's own CNT and edited
OLD.CNT to try and link them both together. I can see my new pages on
the index and find tabs (not needed on content) but I can't get the
last step together.
When ALT+F1 is hit in the application it sends a call to OLD.HLP for a
topid ID, I've got it calling the right ID but it exists in MINE.HLP
and so isn't finding it. How do I make it find it? Thanks

Hi there too,
Have a look at SplitHelp
http://www.danish-shareware.dk/soft/shelpm/
Regards
Johan Smit

[distant]

Post by Johan Smit

Post by distant
Hi there. I'm trying to add some new help pages to an existing
application we use internally. This app comes with it's own OLD.HLP
that we don't have source files for, so I can't edit it directly (I
don't want to try decompiling it as that would be -naughty- and we
have contractors from the company here).
So anyway, I created a new MINE.HLP with it's own CNT and edited
OLD.CNT to try and link them both together. I can see my new pages on
the index and find tabs (not needed on content) but I can't get the
last step together.
When ALT+F1 is hit in the application it sends a call to OLD.HLP for a
topid ID, I've got it calling the right ID but it exists in MINE.HLP
and so isn't finding it. How do I make it find it? Thanks

Hi there too,
Have a look at SplitHelp
http://www.danish-shareware.dk/soft/shelpm/
Regards
Johan Smit

Thanks, but I don't see how it could help? On it's list of missing
features is

"import functions (very probably won't be added) "

so I don't see how it could help me incorperate new pages into an
existing .HLP file.

[Johan Smit]

Post by distant

Post by distant
So anyway, I created a new MINE.HLP with it's own CNT and edited
OLD.CNT to try and link them both together. I can see my new pages on
the index and find tabs (not needed on content) but I can't get the
last step together.
When ALT+F1 is hit in the application it sends a call to OLD.HLP for a
topid ID, I've got it calling the right ID but it exists in MINE.HLP
and so isn't finding it. How do I make it find it? Thanks

Thanks, but I don't see how it could help? On it's list of missing
features is
"import functions (very probably won't be added) "
so I don't see how it could help me incorperate new pages into an
existing .HLP file.

Hi,
Where does import functions come into it?
You don't want to edit the .hlp file.
You want to add a seperate help file to your app, and the app has to
access both help files.
You edit the .cnt files only. This is well described in the
splithelp.txt file.
You delete all old .gid files, and save both .hlp and both .cnt files
in the same directory.
The app now sees all your help files, and go directly to the correct
page in the correct help file.
What is the problem?
Regards
Johan Smit

[distant]

Post by Johan Smit
Hi,
Where does import functions come into it?
You don't want to edit the .hlp file.
You want to add a seperate help file to your app, and the app has to
access both help files.
You edit the .cnt files only. This is well described in the
splithelp.txt file.
You delete all old .gid files, and save both .hlp and both .cnt files
in the same directory.
The app now sees all your help files, and go directly to the correct
page in the correct help file.
What is the problem?
Regards
Johan Smit

I can't see anything called SplitHelp or splithelp.txt on the website.
Maybe you could post it up here, or a direct link to it or email it to
me : usenetsplithelp at voidhawk.net ?

But I think you are confusing the problem I have anyhoo. I don't want
to add new things to the contents. My new entires should not appear
there, only in the mappings so that API calls to the HLP can find
them.

d

[Johan Smit]

Post by distant
I can't see anything called SplitHelp or splithelp.txt on the website.
Maybe you could post it up here, or a direct link to it or email it to
me : usenetsplithelp at voidhawk.net ?

On
http://www.danish-shareware.dk/soft/shelpmbeta/
you will see:
Download example project (9 kb) showing how to merge multiple help
files through the cnt file (it's easy!).
Click on download example project, and you will get:
http://www.danish-shareware.dk/soft/shelpmbeta/splithlp.zip
In splithlp.zip will be splithelp.txt, and the complete example.

Post by distant
But I think you are confusing the problem I have anyhoo. I don't want
to add new things to the contents. My new entires should not appear
there, only in the mappings so that API calls to the HLP can find
them.
So anyway, I created a new MINE.HLP with it's own CNT and edited
OLD.CNT to try and link them both together. I can see my new pages on
the index and find tabs (not needed on content) but I can't get the
last step together.

If the complete solution to your problem is not indicated in
splithelp.txt, I am sorry, but I cannot help you. As shown, you edit
only the .cnt files,and the .hlp files are linked.
This is what you want to do if I read you correctly. If the contents
of MINE.HLP are then shown in the contents of OLD.HLP, so much the
better. Is there anything against that?
The user sees the complete contents, and the app will show the entries
of both .hlp files as required.
It may be possible to do the same thing without showing the changes in
the contents. I don't know if it is possible to include the mappings
without it being visible in the content
Regards
Johan Smit

[Pete Lees]

distant,

Post by distant
So anyway, I created a new MINE.HLP with it's own CNT and edited
OLD.CNT to try and link them both together. I can see my new pages on
the index and find tabs (not needed on content) but I can't get the
last step together.
When ALT+F1 is hit in the application it sends a call to OLD.HLP for a
topid ID, I've got it calling the right ID but it exists in MINE.HLP
and so isn't finding it. How do I make it find it?

Sorry, I don't know of any easy fixes for this. I believe you'll
either need to add the new context help mappings to the project (.hpj)
file for OLD.HLP -- in which case there is probably nothing to gain
from delivering two .hlp files -- or change the WinHelp API calls in
the application so that they go to MINE.HLP, not OLD.HLP.

--
Pete (Microsoft Help MVP)

[distant]

Post by Pete Lees
distant,

Post by distant
So anyway, I created a new MINE.HLP with it's own CNT and edited
OLD.CNT to try and link them both together. I can see my new pages on
the index and find tabs (not needed on content) but I can't get the
last step together.
When ALT+F1 is hit in the application it sends a call to OLD.HLP for a
topid ID, I've got it calling the right ID but it exists in MINE.HLP
and so isn't finding it. How do I make it find it?

Sorry, I don't know of any easy fixes for this. I believe you'll
either need to add the new context help mappings to the project (.hpj)
file for OLD.HLP -- in which case there is probably nothing to gain
from delivering two .hlp files -- or change the WinHelp API calls in
the application so that they go to MINE.HLP, not OLD.HLP.

Hi Pete, I can't edit the OLD.HLP nor the destination for the Api
calls. Very annoying! I just had the idea to try and swap the files
names. So now the application is calling my new help file. Then I
tried adding map entries in my HPJ file to the old HLP file. But it
doesn't seem to work. Is there some special way of writing a map entry
in this circumstance?

So if I have JOE.HLP being called with a topic ID of 345000, but this
Topic ID exists in JANE.HLP (which is linked via CNT files) what map
entry do I need? Currently I have "frmsub=345000" which, as I say,
doesn't work. Thanks.