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

[brahman]

So you used the new version of Help Scribble for this file?

I noticed your file is just 320k, whereas Christian's is 560k.

[AntonyD]

Nope. old which i could find. 7.7.7)))
So new tool adds new bytes)))
But given our current deplorable result - no matter what version of this tool, we should find some fundamentally different one.
And one more thing - I looked at many other CHM files and everywhere they simply did not have a tab with which we are now trying to work together. And when typing in the input field of which everything falls ...

[white]

IMHO something indeed is bad ONLY in the tool - HelpScribble 7.8.0 which is using for building such CHM.
AFAIK there is already 8.3.1 version on the site. Maybe this bug was already fixed?
7.8.0 – 2 September 2010!!!! Why Ghisler prefer to use only outdated tools?

Actually:

I'm not using HelpScribble directly - I'm using a very old help editor, ForeHelp, to create HLP files. Then I use HelpScribble to import the help project and build the CHM file. I could drop ForeHelp and move completely to HelpScribble, but then I could no longer offer HLP files.

And to actually compile the CHM file, HelpSribble calls the Microsoft HTML Help Compiler from the Microsoft HTML Help Workshop.

And one more thing - I looked at many other CHM files and everywhere they simply did not have a tab with which we are now trying to work together. And when typing in the input field of which everything falls ...

What do you mean? That these CHM files don't have an Index tab?
If I remember correctly, the Index tab is an optional tab that can be generated by the Microsoft Help Compiler. HelpScribble uses the features of this compiler. I also know that the CHM file of AutoHotkey is compiled with the same Microsoft Help Compiler, but AutoHotkey uses scripts to generate source files that doesn't use the Table of contents, Index and Search feature of the help compiler, but it's own custom made Table of contents, Index and Search tab.

[brahman]

Nope. old which i could find. 7.7.7)))
I looked at many other CHM files and everywhere they simply did not have a tab with which we are now trying to work together. And when typing in the input field of which everything falls ...

I selected a few help files for you, which have the Index tab - you are right, most of them don't - and I uploaded them here for you to play with:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/pezla81t25u4sce/Help_Files_with_Index_Tab.7z/file

[AntonyD]

2white

What do you mean? That these CHM files don't have an Index tab?

exactly.

but it's own custom made Table of contents, Index and Search tab.

also yes, and I has strong feeling that those CHM which I found WITH Index tax - also had they own representation of this tab

[AntonyD]

and I uploaded them here for you to play with:

CCleaner - works
Dependency walker - works
Imagine - does not have Index tab!
RSync - works + it has additional tab Favorites!
Synchronize It! - works
Windows Support Tools - works + it has additional tab Favorites!
And WHAT IS interesting - al those files which work - all of them produce small <the same 'chm' filename>.chw file - right next to them.
And only totalcmd.chm does not! And this file is being created exactly and only when you first time open the Index tab!
A file with the CHW file extension is a Compiled HTML Help INDEX file;)

[ghisler(Author)]

If you want to experiment with the index, you can get the source of the help here:
https://www.totalcommander.ch/help/totalcmd_chm_src.zip
To compile, edit the path to hhc.exe in build.bat and then run build.bat.

Unfortunately I have no idea what parameters are used for the help files where the help viewer doesn't crash. Since I can't reproduce the bug any more, I can't experiment myself.

[brahman]

Imagine - does not have Index tab!

It has on my PC.

And WHAT IS interesting - al those files which work - all of them produce small <the same 'chm' filename>.chw file - right next to them.
And only totalcmd.chm does not! And this file is being created exactly and only when you first time open the Index tab!
A file with the CHW file extension is a Compiled HTML Help INDEX file;)

That's an interesting find. You are a great investigator!

[AntonyD]

It has on my PC.

ufff, yep, sorry - I looked at it the wrong way....
Yes it exists and it does not have Search tab;) And yes - all is working.
So and what about you? All those files from archive - are properly functioning on your machine?

[white]

Here is some more info:

• .chw files are created when the Index tab is opened, but not for all .chm files.
• The Microsoft docs for HTML Help also contains several CHM files. No .chw file is created for one of these files: Viewhlp.chm.
• The project file for the Total Commander help file "hsc6C4.hhp" contains:

  Code: Select all

  Compatibility=1.0

  Removing this line, or setting it to 1.1 or anything other than 1.0, will produce a .chm file compatible with HTML HELP 1.1
  When compiling with compatibility for HTML Help 1.1, a .chw file is created for the Total Commander help file when the Index tab is opened!

HTML Help 1.0 was used under Windows 95 with Internet Explorer 4.0
HTML Help 1.1a was released with Windows 98

[brahman]

It has on my PC.

ufff, yep, sorry - I looked at it the wrong way....
Yes it exists and it does not have Search tab;) And yes - all is working.
So and what about you? All those files from archive - are properly functioning on your machine?

Yes, all are working...

[AntonyD]

When compiling with compatibility for HTML Help 1.1, a .chw file is created for the Total Commander help file when the Index tab is opened!

I can't reproduce your behavior. From the very beginning I had 1.1 for this option btw. And I never saw .chw file.

[white]

From the very beginning I had 1.1 for this option btw.

Then I assume you didn't use the sources made available by Mr. Ghisler.

BTW. .chw files are created in the same folder as the .chm file, except when the user has no write access in that folder, in that case the .chw file is created in the "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\HTML Help" folder.

[white]

When compiling with compatibility for HTML Help 1.1, a .chw file is created for the Total Commander help file when the Index tab is opened!

I can't reproduce your behavior. From the very beginning I had 1.1 for this option btw. And I never saw .chw file.

My compiled version can be downloaded here. Can you test it?
2brahman: Can you test it as well?

• The Microsoft docs for HTML Help also contains several CHM files. No .chw file is created for one of these files: Viewhlp.chm.

Can you confirm no .chw file is created for Viewhlp.chm? Does it crash as well?

[brahman]

Hooray, it works!

And a CHW file is created.

I thought all along the crash had something to do with a problem in the index.

I hope Christian can implement this in the next RC of TC11.

Edit: The other file you asked me to test (viewhlp.chm) crashes.