HTML Help.

[VuLkaNus]

Anyone know how you can make a html help in your mfc program. I'm not sure I should ask this question this way. If someone knows what i´m talking about and has the answer, then please help.

Thanks.

Ólafur Marteinsson
C/C++ Programmer

[blarivie]

I did it but the answer is not a short one.
First, go get the latest Html Help package from http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/htmlhelp
Follow the instructions to use HHCtrl.ocx in your project.

Override WinHelp() in your main frame class and do whatever is done in CWnd::WinHelp but instead of calling ::WinHelp() call your own function which will support HtmlHelp.

This function could look like this:
// Explicit linking of HHCtrl.ocx
typedef HWND (WINAPI* FPHH)(HWND, LPCSTR, UINT, DWORD);
FPHH g_pHtmlHelp=NULL; // Function pointer

BOOL CMainFrame::ShowHtmlHelp(DWORD dwData, UINT nCmd)
{
BOOL bOK=FALSE;

// Explicit linking of HHCtrl.ocx
if (g_pHtmlHelp==NULL)
{
HINSTANCE hInstHtmlHelp=LoadLibrary(_T("HHCtrl.ocx"));
ASSERT(hInstHtmlHelp!=NULL);
if (hInstHtmlHelp!=NULL)
(FARPROC&)g_pHtmlHelp=GetProcAddress(hInstHtmlHelp, _T("HtmlHelpA"));
}

CString strHtmlHelpFile(GetHtmlHelpFile());
if ((g_pHtmlHelp!=NULL) && (_access(strHtmlHelpFile, 0)==0))
{
HWND hWndResult=NULL;

CWnd* pWnd = GetDesktopWindow(); // Avoid to have the help window always on top
if (nCmd==HELP_PARTIALKEY)
{
// Keyword (from interpreter documents or Expression Builder)
HH_AKLINK akLink={
sizeof(HH_AKLINK), // cbStruct - sizeof this structure
FALSE, // fReserved - must be FALSE (really!)
(LPCTSTR)dwData, // pszKeywords - semi-colon separated keywords
"", // pszUrl - URL to jump to if no keywords found (may be NULL)
"", // pszMsgText - Message text to display in MessageBox if pszUrl is NULL and no keyword match
"", // pszMsgTitle - Message text to display in MessageBox if pszUrl is NULL and no keyword match
"", // pszWindow - Window to display URL in
TRUE}; // fIndexOnFail - Displays index if keyword lookup fails.

hWndResult=g_pHtmlHelp( pWnd->GetSafeHwnd(),
strHtmlHelpFile,
HH_KEYWORD_LOOKUP,
(DWORD)&akLink);
}
else if (nCmd==HELP_CONTEXT)
{
// Context help (using ID)
hWndResult=g_pHtmlHelp( pWnd->GetSafeHwnd(),
strHtmlHelpFile,
HH_HELP_CONTEXT,
dwData);
if (hWndResult==NULL)
{
// Wrong ID: show the index
hWndResult=g_pHtmlHelp( pWnd->GetSafeHwnd(),
strHtmlHelpFile,
HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC,
0);
}

}
else
{
// Show index
hWndResult=g_pHtmlHelp( pWnd->GetSafeHwnd(),
strHtmlHelpFile,
HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC,
0);
}

if (hWndResult!=NULL)
bOK=TRUE;
}

return bOK;
}


I hope this helps.