C:\Program Files\BORLAND\Delphi5\Help\Tools\hcw.exe

In order to access the workshop, I suggest adding it to the Tools menu. In Delphi 5, select

Tools / Configure Tools...

Notes:

• You can compile *.rtf files while they are still open in Word
• In the Help Workshop, be sure File / Help Author is checked. This allows you to right click any help page (not just yours) and get Topic Information.
• By default, the hlp file (compiled output) is located in the same directory as the hpj file (help project definition).
• Under File / Compile..., check Automatically display Help file in WinHelp when done
• Be sure to read the Help Workshop tips, most of that data is hard to find in the help file.
• The Help Workshop help on footnotes and macros (ALink) is very good. However, the examples are in RTF not MS Word - some translation is required.

From the menu, select File / New... / Help Project

All you need to add is a link to an *.rtf file and compile.

But, to make it look like the Delphi help, you need to define a few windows and enable the browse button. You can do all of this via the workshop, but its a lot of work.

It is much easier if you just copy an existing *.hpj file, open it in notepad, and change the paths to whatever you want. (You can have as many *.rtf files as you want.)

This is one of the files I use ... Uh, just ignore the warning not to modify the file (I do :)

; This file is maintained by HCW. Do not modify this file directly.

[OPTIONS]
LCID=0x409 0x0 0x0 ; English (United States)
REPORT=Yes
TITLE=MicroCline File IO
BMROOT=e:\DelphiProjects\CommonHelpFiles
HLP=mcFile_IO.hlp

[FILES]
e:\DelphiProjects\Project_1\help\Project_1.rtf
e:\DelphiProjects\Project_2\help\Project_2.rtf

[WINDOWS]
main="",,28676,,,f2
example="Example",(360,160,640,320),12292,(r14876671),(r8454143),f2
pme="",(40,320,280,640),4,(r14876671),(r12632256)
proc="",(425,100,578,300),12292,,,f2
gloss="",(425,100,578,300),12292,,(r12632256),f2
(w95sec)="",(425,100,578,300),12292,,(r12632256),f2

[CONFIG]
BrowseButtons()

The bitmaps are available in CommonHelpFiles.zip.

• When a Contents file (*.cnt) is used, be sure that the base file is the same as the Help file (*.hlp). I made the mistake of renaming the hlp and cnt files without changing

  :Base filename

  It took several hours to find the problem.

• You can write the compiled help file anywhere you want by entering the drive letter and path in the project file under

  Options... / Files / Help File
  

  I prefer to edit the *.hpj file in notepad.

• The output *.hlp filename is always all upper case.

When creating help files, you are going to have to re-compile them many times. This is how to do that with a single button click.

• When you open an *.hpj file, there are 3 way to compile it - via File / Compile, via the Compile button on the toolbar, via the Save and Compile button in the window. The Save and Compile button requires only one mouse click, the other methods require more.
• Make sure that the Help Workshop sub-windows are not maximized.
• Arrange the windows so that you can see if there are any errors or warnings, and so that you can click the Save and Compile Button.
• Be sure that Automatically display Help file in WinHelp when done is enabled (available via the other compile methods).

URL: http:// cpcug.org / user / clemenzi / technical / Languages / Delphi / ComponentHelp_Workshop.html