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Tutorial: Create your own .chm (Compiled HTML Help File)

Started by fasecero, September 12, 2019, 05:47:15 PM

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fasecero

September 12, 2019, 05:47:15 PM Last Edit: September 12, 2019, 06:13:52 PM by fasecero
I was playing with the program Brian shared recently and I noticed on his .chm file the tool he used to create it. You can check his program in here http://www.ionicwind.com/forums/index.php?topic=6312.msg46255;topicseen#msg46255

here is a small tutorial on how to create a .chm by yourself:

Tools needed:
 - WordPad
 - HTML Help Workshop
 - Online Converter (.rtf to .html)

And here it goes:

1) Download and install HTML Help Workshop (htmlhelp.exe): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=21138
   (Note: there's a chance you already have it, search your main menu for "HTML Help Workshop")

2) Write your help files on Wordpad (for this tutorial I'm just copy-pasting Brian's files)

3) Convert them (.rtf files) to .html using any online file converter. I'm using: http://www.convertfiles.com/index.php you have to go 1 by 1 but it does the job :). Put all your .html on a new folder.

4) Open HTML Help Workshop
   - Select File - New - Project, a Wizard window will appears, click Next
   - Press Browse, navigate to your .html folder and write the project Name, select Open, click Next
   - You should see now 3 checkboxes, mark the third one (HTML files (.htm)), click Next
   - Click on Add, select all your .html files, click Next, then Finish.

5) Now you have your own .chm project opened
   - Select Contents tab, it will ask you if you want to create a new contents file, click OK.
   - A Save dialog will appears, select Save

6) Use the left button's bar to add files, folders, and to move them up, down, right, etc.

7) Create the intro page
   - Select Insert a Page button (check the button's tooltips to locate it), Insert the name in Entry title, press Add and choose the intro file. Click OK.

8) Add a folder
   - Select Insert a Heading button, choose NO, Insert the name, and click OK.

9) Repeat point 7) to each file menu.

10) Press the last button (Save) to save all. Finally, at the top bar press Compile HTML File, after that press Compile again. Save your changes and that's it, the .chm should appears in your .html folder.

Aditional settings
   - Project tab - Change project options button
         On General tab you can change the .chm title, default file, and .chm left pane font.
         On Compiler tab select Compile Full-text search information, so you can perform any search on your .chm file.
   - Index tab
         You can add important keywords and relate them to some of your files.

I'm attaching the resulting folder below, but it is recommended that you start with an empty folder and follow those steps.