Known limitations in beta 1 (please read first)!

[TucknDar]

TucknDar, I couldn't resist. Sorry!

http://icfu.totalcmd.net/temp/CHM_Killer_Special_Sir_SiLvA_Edition.exe (TIGER icon included)

Icfu

Cool, you took the bait

[petermad]

2ghisler(Author)

but many users may have turned off Javascript, for security reasons

I don't think it wil be many - you really won't get far on the Internet nowadays without javascript.

The problem might be that security issuses within javascript might prevent closing the help window. But that remains to be seen.

In a normal html document this code will do it (for Internet Explorer, not Mozilla):

Code: Select all

<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
<!--
document.onkeydown = IEKeyDown;
document.onkeypress = IEKeyDown;

function IEKeyDown()
{ 
  if (event.keyCode != 27)
    return true;
  else
   window.close();
}
// -->
</script>

But in IE 6 and above you will be asked to confirm whether you want to close the window.

And I dont know if the code will work in a .chm file.

[KyleK]

1. We still use a HLP file for help. Migration to CHM is planned, but there are still a few problems to solve before this step can be taken

Please allways add a hlp-file and dont change 100% to CHM as only hlp-files can be closed with ESCAPE. thx!

HLP files can't be closed by pressing ESC in Vista, unfortunately :(

[Lefteous]

2KyleK

HLP files can't be closed by pressing ESC in Vista, unfortunately

Hm maybe it's because they cannot be _opened_ at all

[KyleK]

Pressing F1 in Total Commander does indeed work. Opening them directly by pressing Enter/double-click, however, does not.

[ghisler(Author)]

I'm calling the old 16-bit winhelp.exe on Vista because the 32-bit Winhelp shows just a stupid error message. Thanks, Microsoft, for such a "clever" business decision, people will really love you for that...

[icfu]

I thought that Vista doesn't run 16-bit apps anymore? Any trick? Well, not that I would have any desires to use Vista if this issue is solved meanwhile...

Icfu

[ghisler(Author)]

Sorry, I meant the winhelp.exe which is for 16-bit hlp files. I guess that they compiled it as a 32-bit program, but included it for old installers(?).

[icfu]

Ah, this makes sense, thanks.

Icfu

[mofi]

Hello to all experts who want to close any CHM help with ESC!

I struggled with myself the last 5 days, if I should post here the solution I found for my personal usage only, how to exit any CHM file with key ESC additionally to Alt+F4. The reason is that my solution is not a general solution. My solution is a little resource hack in the appropriate HtmlHelp ConTRoL User Interface file used by hh.exe for the GUI.

Let me first mention that I'm strictly against manipulating a program in any way. I contact normally always the author or publisher of a program and send a feature request. I would prefer if Microsoft would add the ability to exit a HTML help with ESC. But in this special case, I think, the odds are very low to get at least an answer. So I have not even tried to contact MS and have done the little necessary modification in the resource of the appropriate file by myself, but only for my personal usage.

This solution is not for general usage because it injures the copyrights of MS for HH. If the forum admins think this post is already too much and also injures the forum rules which I have read carefully, please delete my post, but don't lock my account.

I will not post here which tool can be used to do this resource manipulation. I will also not post which file must be modified and how exactly the manipulation must be done. Also don't send me an email or a private message and ask for a detailed description or the manipulated file. I will not answer it. If you are not experienced enough to make with my little help the same as I for your personal usage only, then you have bad luck.

What I have done? I created a backup of the file which contains the resource of hh.exe. Which file contains the resources of hh.exe depends on the operating system! Then I opened this file with a tool which can modify the resource of a file. Next I looked in the menu resources for File - Exit to get the ID of this function. Then I opened the accelerators resource and added the escape key associated to the ID I found in the main menu and compiled the resource. That would be already enough, but I have opened also the version info resource, added the file flags 0x0C to mark the file as patched private version and added also the private build string "Key ESC exits the help!" and compiled this modification too. Last I saved the modified file. Now I can exit any CHM help with ESC.

[menet]

Hello to all experts who want to close any CHM help with ESC!

Hi mofi,

Sorry, I had not read the previous entries so I EDIT the begining of my reply.
Why administrators do not create a new entry about "Help and CHM" in the Plugins and addons: devel.+support (English) forum ?
I see no link with the title : Known limitations in beta 1 (please read first)!

I haven't the tool to create a personal modified HH.EXE and don't want to do it. I will prefer to obtain one version that already runs right.

Can you provide us a version for Windows XP SP2 for exemple ?

Best regards

[ghisler(Author)]

Thanks, but I no longer need this solution. Using a keyboard hook as suggested here in the forum does the trick!