Why the help file of TC is in .hlp and not .chm?

[Xtrician]

I think Christian says that it will be changed in TC 7.

[SanskritFritz]

So, all we have to do is wait for TC 7

[ghisler(Author)]

Sorry, I have decided that I will not use the CHM format. It is causing a LOT of troubles:
- loading CHM files is many times slower than HLP files
- it loads the Internet Explorer control, with all its risks
- it depends on its restrictions - if the user has turn off images in IE, there are no images in the help
- CHM files take about twice the memory of HLP files (packed) -> the installer would grow considerably
- CHM files do not work properly on Win9x and with old IE versions

I will offer a CHM help file as a separate download, though. TC already supports CHM help internally.

[djk]

Bad news
But of course I understand the reasons.

Anyway it's great that the chm help will be available for download. Is it ready now?

[J.A. Gruys]

Can someone explain the advantages of CHM to me? I personally prefer HLP, partly because of some of the reasons mentioned by Mr. Ghisler, and partly because I find HLP easier to use.

[Flint]

Can someone explain the advantages of CHM to me?

1. Works on Vista without restrictions, needs of installing additional patches, etc.
2. Supports searching text inside pages.
3. Supports selecting words by double-click.
4. Doesn't ask to rebuild the search base again and again.
5. Can open Internet pages just inside its window (for some users this may be a disadvantage, though).
6. Supports image formats such as GIF/PNG/JPEG.

[icfu]

7. Doesn't look like Windows 3.11.
8. Doesn't create junk files like .GID and .FTS.

Icfu

[J.A. Gruys]

Flint,

I have to admit that your seond point might be a real advantage at times. But as a simple and not too frequent help user in any program I use, I don't attach great interest to the rest.

So here again, one and the same thing will not be everyone's choice every time, nor everyone's advantage. Mr. Ghisler's decision to leave the choice to the user is a wise decision.

Edit:
And I don't mind 3.11, fts, and gid.

[icfu]

It's not wise, it's anachronistic.

Most users today do NOT use Windows 95, they do NOT use an outdated Internet Explorer, they do NOT need to save space, they do NOT use a system on which you can measure the difference in speed of HLP and CHM.

So, a wise man would prefer to make 99% of the people happy and offer the remaining 1% an alternative HLP file.

Icfu

[Clo]

2Flint

Hello K. !

• And you could add :

¤ HTML-sources easy to write¦update, doesn't need M$ Office, can be typed even with Notepad (for bold experts, though )

¤ Allows images-maps easy to set (even huge ones, like in the Tutos)

And so on…

 FR
Claude
Clo
There's none so deaf as those who will not hear…

[Flint]

I have to admit that your seond point might be a real advantage at times. But as a simple and not too frequent help user in any program I use, I don't attach great interest to the rest.

I didn't tell that all advantages must be advantages for everyone. For me, for example, working on Vista is not an advantage at all, because I don't use it and even if I used it, I'd just install winhelp32.exe.
You just asked what the advantages are, I replied; that's all.

HTML-sources easy to write¦update, doesn't need M$ Office, can be typed even with Notepad (for bold experts, though )

Just for your info: I don't use Office (and any other rich-text editors) for editing RTF. And if use one, it definitely should not be MS Office! It's generated RTF is as "beautiful" as its HTML code...

[Lefteous]

I guess the truth is that building a help file which is really designed for HTML help is a lot of work and the team writing the help file haven't spend enough time to get a good result.

[Sir_SiLvA]

Disadvantage of CHM-Files:
cant be closed by pressing Escape.
(without using any other tool)

And please point at Vista - Vista is as useless as Windows ME...

[roentgen]

It's not wise, it's anachronistic.

Most users today do NOT use Windows 95, they do NOT use an outdated Internet Explorer, they do NOT need to save space, they do NOT use a system on which you can measure the difference in speed of HLP and CHM.

So, a wise man would prefer to make 99% of the people happy and offer the remaining 1% an alternative HLP file.

Somebody more experienced at making polls should start one regarding the TC installer size.

[sqa_wizard]

Most users today do NOT use Windows 95, they do NOT use an outdated Internet Explorer, they do NOT need to save space, they do NOT use a system on which you can measure the difference in speed of HLP and CHM.

Don't underestimate the number of Win9x users.

The fact that you are using a "state of the art" PC does not mean the rest of the world is able to pay for it too !

If you count the "few" people of some countries at Western-Europe and some at the US against the ones of Eastern-Europe, Asia and South-America (just as an example), you will certainly be a member of the minority group ...