[TC 11.00rc1] Crash when using Help > Index > Keyword

[Horst.Epp]

2ghisler(Author)
It would be nice if the normal help file were configured to react on single click
in the content index on the left side, as the dark version from Petermad does.
My dream is, that also a single click in the index would work in both versions.

[ghisler(Author)]

Sorry, I have no idea how to configure this. I could not find any option for the .hhp file to do this.
2Petermad:
What do I need to configure to make the index work with single clicks?

[Horst.Epp]

Sorry, I have no idea how to configure this. I could not find any option for the .hhp file to do this.
2Petermad:
What do I need to configure to make the index work with single clicks?

It's only the content index which does this.

[white]

What do I need to configure to make the index work with single clicks?

As Horst.Epp said, it's only in the table of contents.
In your hsc6C4.hhc add just below the BODY tag:

Code: Select all

<OBJECT type="text/site properties">
	<param name="Window Styles" value="0x800425">
</OBJECT>

Explanation:

• 0x800000 Sets the kind of border.
• 0x000400 Enables single click mode.
• 0x000020 Makes that selection is still visible when window is inactive (grey color).
• 0x000005 Enables +/- squares.

There may be options in HelpScribble to set these options, but I haven't looked into that.

I mentioned these options here:

Maybe - but I don't know how to do that

Name: hsc6C4.hhc

Code: Select all

	<param name="Window Styles" value="0x800025">

The 5 means enable +/- squares (1= enable +/- squares, 4= start at root level displaying them)
So change the value to 0x800020.

Do you know you can enable single-click to open a book? Do you know you can also enable mouse-tracking so underlining appears when you hover over a book or help page link?

I know it is possible, but since I don't use a compiler, I need to know the code for these things.

The codes are:

• add "0x000400" for single-click mode
• add "0x000200" for mouse-tracking

[ghisler(Author)]

In your hsc6C4.hhc add just below the BODY tag:

That seems to work, thanks!

There may be options in HelpScribble to set these options, but I haven't looked into that.

I'm not using HelpScribble to create the project files, just generate the html and gif files.

[petermad]

2ghisler(Author)
In the German help you add the code to the hsc679.hhc file.

[ghisler(Author)]

Yes, I already did that when adding it to the English file.

[petermad]

Regarding the creation of a totalcmd.chw file

If I double-click on totalcmd.chm the help is opened but no totalcmd.chw is created.
If I press F1 in TC a totalcmd.chw IS created but only in 64bit TC, not in 32bit TC.

My 64bit and 32bit TC are installed in seoarate directories, so each have their own totalcmd.chm file, and I have checked that they are identical.

Can anyone explain that difference between the the two bitnesses of TC?

[ghisler(Author)]

In my tests, the 32-bit CHM viewer creates the CHW file only when I activate the index tab. The 64-bit viewer creates it when the CHM file is opened. I don't know why Microsoft made this change, maybe because 64-bit machines are usually more powerful.

[white]

In my tests, the 32-bit CHM viewer creates the CHW file only when I activate the index tab. The 64-bit viewer creates it when the CHM file is opened.

I think only when using the API to open the help. Not when the help is launched using 64-bit HH.EXE. It also doesn't happen for 7-zip when pressing F1 in the file manager.

7-zip seems to use this call:

Code: Select all

HtmlHelp(NULL, GetSystemString(fs2us(path)), HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC, 0);

Total Commander uses:

No, I just call
HtmlHelpA(0, helpFileName, HH_DISPLAY_TOC,0)
or
HtmlHelpA(0, helpFileName, HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC, topic)
or
HtmlHelpA(0, helpFileName, HH_HELP_CONTEXT, context)

I think there is a bug in the 64-bit APIs where during initialization the Index-tab is made the active tab. That's why I think the chm file is created.

Here is a test case where 32-bit seems to default to the Table of contents tab:

• If TC 32-bit is running, close it
• Start TC 32-bit
• Select a file and choose menu option Files/Change Attributes
• Pressing F1 opens the Help and the Table of contents tab is active

When using 64-bit it seems to default to the Index tab:

• If TC 64-bit is running, close it
• Start TC 64-bit
• Select a file and choose menu option Files/Change Attributes
• Pressing F1 opens the Help and the Index tab is active

(Same happens when using TC 10.52)
(Also confirmed using Windows Sandbox, so a completely clean environment)

[petermad]

In my tests, the 32-bit CHM viewer creates the CHW file only when I activate the index tab.

Aha - I hadn't noticed that.

I think only when using the API to open the help. Not when the help is launched using 64-bit HH.EXE.

That's what I experiencce too.

I think there is a bug in the 64-bit APIs where during initialization the Index-tab is made the active tab. That's why I think the chm file is created.

Here is a test case where 32-bit seems to default to the Table of contents tab:

• If TC 32-bit is running, close it
• Start TC 32-bit
• Select a file and choose menu option Files/Change Attributes
• Pressing F1 opens the Help and the Table of contents tab is active

When using 64-bit it seems to default to the Index tab:

• If TC 64-bit is running, close it
• Start TC 64-bit
• Select a file and choose menu option Files/Change Attributes
• Pressing F1 opens the Help and the Index tab is active

It some more testing I experience it a little more complex than that.

Under windows 10:
If I after opening the Help with F1, change the active tab, close the Help and open it again, then that tab choice is remembered for the rest of the TC session in 64bit TC and it is permanently remembered in 32bit TC. So after restart of 64bit TC the active tab is always the Index tab, but after restart of 32bit TC the active tab is the last used tab in the previous session.

Under windows 7:
In 64bit TC after a restart, the active tab is the Index tab when pressing F1 the first time. Without changing the tab, but just closing and reopening the Help with F1 it now uses the Content tab for the rest of the TC session.
In 32bit TC it is always the Content tab that is active when pressing F1.
For both 32bit and 64bit TC the last used tab is never remembered under Windows 7, not even during the TC session.