[ros-dev] Implementing a help system

[Wesley Parish]

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 04:08, Karim Liman-Tinguiri wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I've recently joined the ReactOS project (1) where I intend to work as
> a coder primarily. After downloading the LiveCD and trying it out, I
> found out it lacks (amongst many) a help system. I believe it should
> be added amongst the urgent TO-DOs checklist now that the OS runs,
> provides a minimal GUI, and is stable. Built-in user assistance is
> essential since the React Operating System is intended for the large
> audience; not only for hackers.
>
> Therefore I am wondering if there is a current project started to code
> one. If not, I plan to code an open-source version of the winhlp32.exe
> file located in the system folder able to open and show windows .hlp
> files. The goal is to have a winhlp32.exe that runs and behaves
> exactly like (or very close to) that of the Microsoft copyrighted
> winhlp32.exe. It should therefore be able to serve existing windows
> apps with a help server without any modification to the program. I've
> verified the dependencies of winhlp32.exe; all of them have already
> been implemented in ReactOS, so it should not be a big deal to code it
> from scratch. Despite the fact that the .hlp file format isn't
> officially documented, it has already been reverse engineered and its
> documentation can be found on the web (2). However, if there already
> is a help support project up and running, I intend to join it.

If I remember rightly, there was an article in DDJ in the early nineties on 
the structure of the MS Win Help files.  If my memory serves me right, it 
takes the form of a compressed file system.

Search on the DDJ site - they've got an archive of articles - failing that, 
get in touch with the editors.

Wesley Parish
>
> Besides, as soon as this is ready (why not before ?), I advise we
> convert all documentation on the reactos.com's library (and all
> further documentation) to the DocBook (SGML) format: it has the
> advantage of being easily converted on-the-fly to pdf, html,
> post-script and many others. A tool chain to convert it to .hlp will
> however have to be created (meanwhile we can use the standard tools
> for compiling .hlp files).
>
> (1) I'm referring to the developer mailing list
> (2) http://www.geocities.com/mwinterhoff/helpfile.htm
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-----
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