Link / Merge chm files on Clients PC

[Guest]

Hi,

We have a main project and add in modules that we can distribute separately as required.

We would like to have 1 searchable CHM file, but do not want to include all of our add-in modules into the 1 CHM file.

My idea was that we have 1 main CHM, then it searches for other CHM files on the customers PC (in selected directories) and includes them.

Is this possible. I am willing to move to WebHelp if it is possible using that.

I am using Robohelp HTML 10.

May Thanks,

Joe

[Peter Grainge · Accepted solution]

What you need is merged help where the search will return results from whatever it can find. Thus if the folder only contains the main chm, it will only search that but if it finds module A as well, that too will be searched. It is seamless to the end user.

My site has information that is mostly geared to doing this with webhelp but it does contain some information about doing it with chms as well.

I strongly recommend experimenting with some new projects with just a few topics in each to get your mind around the concept.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Peter Grainge]

Before making any changes, you should talk to your developers to discuss the implications for their calls to the help.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Guest]

Ah Fantastic,

I understood it as though the module CHM file had to be there when generating the main CHM.

I will look at your site and play around with Merging projects.

Regards,

Joe

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Joe. Merged CHMs work slightly differently to merged WebHelp. In summary, if a CHM is not present on the client's PC, its content will not be found. So if you have CHMA that has CHMB anc CHMC merged to it, but CHMB is not located in the same directory as CHMA and CHMC, a search will not produce results for CHMB.

[Captiv8r]

Hi Joe

Just to add another twist to things here, perhaps you have CHM A, CHM B and CHM C.

If you want to search CHM A and have it find results that are also found in CHM B and CHM C as if they were a singular larger CHM, you would normally have them in a single folder and have CHM A (or one of them) designated as the Master.

The twist here is that they wouldn't have to exist in the same folder. Sure, it's simpler that way, but if your developers have arranged things in such a fashion that you have CHM files in different folders, the information below may help.

If you look at your RoboHelp Toolbox Pod (View > Pods > Toolbox) you should find a utility there named HTML Help Registration. When you run this tool you are able to add CHM file references to your Windows registry. And that's the key point. When CHM file references exist in the Windows Registry, pathing location is added. Many eons ago I created some instructions that helped with that. In this case, you will likely be interested in the last bit of that topic where I talk about exporting a registry key that may be used to amend other registries.

Click here to view

Cheers... Rick

[Guest]

Hi Rick,

I will have a play round that that.

I am also the developer, so I can alter the program to launch the correct page without too much hasstle.

I will probably end up using the registry key trick, as the plug in architecture at the moment requires all module files to be in 1 folder, so it is 1 less thing to worry about/alter.

I can add the registry keys using code when the module starts.

Very Impressed with the help from all of you here.

Joe