Info Only Update 08-16-2012 (WIP Help File)

[LarryMc]

Besides the work I've been doing with the sizing issues, I spent most of yesterday working on updating the new installer.
It now installs all the examples, the new CHM, PDF and EXE help (WIP) files in place of the current help files.
The free installer download hasn't been(and won't be) updated so the only person that can currently download it is the beta tester.

I did add a download link so that anyone interested in seeing where I'm going with the help can download it and look.
Click here to download the WIP help file.
Warning:
Do not unzip this file in the same folder
as your current help file.
They have the same name.

Also created a couple of make utilities:
One that copies the latest of the appropriate files to the folder I use for the release.
The other compiles the installer and zips the setup.exe and readies it for upload.

Now I will be working on the code for F1 / Find in Help

[LarryMc]

While working on my code for searching multiple help files(code I used in IWB+0 I discovered something.
If the keyword you are searching for is in multiple help files listed in your help menu the chances are you will be presented with only the results from the first help file it is found in.

I checked the source code for the current IDE and it works the same way.
Here's what happens:
Assume the keyword you are looking for is in 3 help files.
When you click F1 it looks in the IWB usersguide first.
A dialog opens with a listbox with the topics containing the keyword.
The user can do one of two things:
1.select one of the displayed topics
   The help file is opened and the selected topic page is displayed.
   When you close the help file that's it. The other two help files are ignored
2. If you don't select any topic and just close the dialog.
    The next help file topic dialog appears and the process repeats its self.

The help file API doesn't give me a whole lot to work with.
But I THINK it gives me enough to be able to daisey-chain through all the files.
The one think that is going to be missing is like a global cancel button.
But no more often then it would happen I don't see it as an issue.

So that's where I'm at.

[LarryMc]

Finished the help search code.
Now, when you highlite a keyword it will search all the help files in the help file menu starting with the IWB usersguide.

It doesn't matter what action you take with the first file the keyword is in(select a topic and then close the help file; or cancel)
When that dialog is closed it will go to the next file where the keyword is found and repeat the process.

There is one small hiccup that I can't find a way around.
If one of the help files is already open and the keyword is not in it you can go through the above process and then close that window the seach process is repeated.  The normal response would be to just cancel out each time.
Since the search time is so fact I really don't see it is a major problem for the gained benefit of making sure it searchs all the files.

If I ever come across a fix for it I'll do it.

And a reminder.  A F1 / Find in Help search is not the same type of search as the Find in File search
The Find in File search searches the entire file looking for the specified string.
A F1 / Find in Help search looks through an index of keywords that were flagged when the help file was built.
That index is an integral part of a *.chm file.

[LarryMc]

I've added some more topics to the new Help file for the new IDE.  No new text yet.

[LarryMc]

The help file has been updated.
I've made a first pass through the topics shown in the attached image.
The download link is at the top of this topic.

[LarryMc]

Completed the rewrite on two more sections.
I'm skipping the Debugging section until LarryS gives me the new debugger.

I didn't repost the help file for just this small update.

I'm now going to start on the Code Editor section.

Note:
The help file now contains:
 1,222   Topics
 15,523   Local hot-links
 133   Graphics
The PDF version contains 811 pages.

[LarryMc]

Completed the Code Editor section of the Help file.
Updated the download for those that may be interested.

I'm now going to start on the Form Editor section.

Note:
The help file now contains:
  1,222 +9 Topics
  15,523 +68    Local hot-links
  133 +21    Graphics
The PDF version contains 811 +10 pages.

[LarryMc]

Completed the Form Editor section of the Help file.
Updated the download for those that may be interested.

I'm now going to start on the Menu Editor section.

Note:
The help file now contains:
 1,231 -1 Topics
 15,591 +14    Local hot-links
 154 +44     Graphics
The PDF version contains 825 +4 pages.

[LarryMc]

Completed the Menu Editor section of the Help file.
Updated the download for those that may be interested.

I'm now going to start on the ? section.

Note:
The help file now contains:
 1,230 -1 Topics
 15,605 +2    Local hot-links
 198 +21     Graphics
The PDF version contains 829 +6 pages.

[LarryMc]

Completed the following sections of the Help file.
   Create Import Library
   Register File Extensions
   Tools Menu Editor
   Help Menu Editor
   File Cleanup
   ColorPicker
   Toolbar Paint
   Messagebox Builder

Updated the download for those that may be interested.

I'm now going to start on the Print Preview section.

Note:
The help file now contains:
  1,235     Topics
  15,634    Local hot-links
  224        Graphics
The PDF version contains 841 pages.

[billhsln]

When I bring up the help, all I get is:  Navigation to the webpage was canceled

I can click on any subject and that screen just stays there.

Bill

[LarryMc]

When I bring up the help, all I get is:  Navigation to the webpage was canceled

I can click on any subject and that screen just stays there.

Bill

Go to the location of the of the help file in Windows Explorer.
right click on the file name and select Properties
Unblock the file.
Try the help file again.

[billhsln]

Thanks, Larry.  That fixed the problem.  Does this have to happen every time?

Thanks again,
Bill

[LarryMc]

It is not uncommon.
It happens.

[LarryMc]

Completed the following sections of the Help file.
   Print Preview
   Find in Files
  (which completes the Utilities section)
   ToDo Lists   

Updated the download for those that may be interested.

I'm now going to start on the How-To section.

Note:
The help file now contains:
  1,247     Topics
  15,689    Local hot-links
  260        Graphics
The PDF version contains 855 pages.

[LarryMc]

Completed the following sub-sections of the How-To section of theHelp file.
   Set Startup Preferences
   Set Editor Preferences

Updated the download for those that may be interested.

I'm now going to start on the Set Compiler Preferences section.

Note:
The help file now contains:
  1,251     Topics
  15,728    Local hot-links
  266        Graphics
The PDF version contains 863 pages.

[LarryMc]

Completed the following sub-section of the How-To section of the Help file.
   Set Compiler Preferences

Updated the download for those that may be interested.

Note:
The help file now contains:
  1,278     Topics
  15,793    Local hot-links
  269        Graphics
The PDF version contains 869 pages.

[LarryMc]

Completed the following sub-section of the How-To section of the Help file.
   Files

Updated the download for those that may be interested.

Note:
The help file now contains:
  1,278     Topics
  15,850    Local hot-links
  287        Graphics
The PDF version contains 877 pages.

[LarryMc]

Completed the following sub-section of the How-To section of the Help file.
   Single File Application

Updated the download for those that may be interested.

Note:
The help file now contains:
  1,278     Topics
  15,876    Local hot-links
  298        Graphics
The PDF version contains 881 pages.

[LarryMc]

Hit a milestone this morning;
I'm almost through with the How-To section for Projects
and the pdf version of the Help file now contains 900 pages.

For comparison
the 1st version of IWB (v 1.737) had 657 pages
IWB 2.0 had 798 pages.

[Doc]

Sounds good, Larry!
...let us know when you have a fresh copy of either one that you want to share.

-Doc-

[LarryMc]

Hopefully it will be by the end of the week.

[LarryMc]

Completed the following sub-sections of the How-To section of the Help file.

Projects
  Create a New Project
  Set Project Options
  Open a Project
  Save a Project
  Close a Project
  Add Files
     *iwb files
     *.obj files
     *.asm files
     *.res files
     *.lib files
  Remove Files
  Compile a Project
  Run a Project
  Resources
  Compile a Resource
Convert from CBasic / IBasic
  Why convert to IWBasic?
  Getting Started
  Subroutines - Local
  Subroutines - Components
  Subroutines - DLL Calls
  Windows / Dialogs
  Controls
  Menus
  Menus - Context
  INSTR
  2D/3D Graphics
  Conclusion
Convert from EBasic / IBPro

Updated the download for those that may be interested.

Note:
The help file now contains:
 1,294     Topics
 15,990    Local hot-links
 327        Graphics
The PDF version contains 919 pages.

Click here to download the WIP help file.
Warning:
Do not unzip this file in the same folder
as your current help file.
They have the same name.

[LarryMc]

Well, I'm finally starting on the
Windows Programming / Controls section of the help file.
This is the last portion I'm going to tackle.

[LarryMc]

I can't remember if I mentioned it before or not but I am reformating the info in the ControlPak help file and merging it into the main help file.
That way ALL the controls supported directly by iwb will have all their info in the Windows Programming / Controls section of the help file.
I spent yesterday and this morning getting all the basic info moved over and have massaged a good portion of it.

Right now, the help file has 1,029 pages
For comparison
the 1st version of IWB (v 1.737) had 657 pages
IWB 2.0 had 798 pages.