Delphi Components - Writing Help Files - Checklist

The other pages in this series give extremely specific instructions on how to create Delphi component help files. This page provides a checklist of how to create, compile, and link help file templates automatically generated from your existing *.pas files.

Download and Install | Generate | Create Support Files | Compile | Link | Test | Add Content

Related pages
Writing Help Files | Style_Guide | Table of Contents | MS Help Workshop | Checklist | More Tips


Download and Install

The Delphi Help Template Generator Common help files - Several images and a file containing several common hierarchies Microsoft Help Workshop (compiler) - it is located at


Generate

This procedure automatically generates help templates (as *.rtf files) from existing *.pas files. If your source code is named xyz.pas, then the ouput is named xyz_gen.rtf. You should manually rename these as xyz.rtf. This may seem like a hassel, but it is the only way I know to protect your valuable work (other than backups). In real life, Writing a program to automatically update the live file is more work than I want at this point.


Create the Help support files

You need to create several support files - place these in the same directory as your *.rtf files (normally in your project's Help directory)


Compile


Link

Use OpenHelp to link your new *.hlp file into the Delphi IDE.


Test

It is assumed that your component is already installed. Each time F1 is pressed, verify that the appropriate help page is displayed.

The following steps also apply to classes that are not a part of a component.


Add Content

At this point, the help file template should be fully functional. Now it is time to use MS Word 97 (or another tool you trust) to add real content.

During this process, I frequently recompile and view the help. The general procedure is to

Some changes you will need to make


Author: Robert Clemenzi - clemenzi@cpcug.org
URL: http:// cpcug.org / user / clemenzi / technical / Languages / Delphi / ComponentHelp_Checklist.html