Is it possible to generate a WinHelp project from a WebHelp project in RH8?

[Jake_Teschler]

I am using RH 8 and have received a request from my developer to change the WebHelp project I created into a WinHelp project. I have looked through the single-source layout section, the help, and the forums, but cannot seem to find a definitive answer to this. It would seem like a no-brainer to me to be able to do this, but I fear that it can't be done without a massive time investment.

Does anyone know of a simple way to make this happen?

[Peter Grainge]

Seriously your developer wants a WinHelp output? Look into why and post back. It is so outdated that most users would have to download a viewer as Microsoft no longer distribute it on more recent operating systems. CHMs are also dated but at least a viewer does not have to be downloaded. Maybe the developer just wants it for quick personal reference?

WinHelp can only be generated from RoboHelp for Word and your version does not support Word later than 2007.

Not sure how to go about it but let's deal with the need first.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Jake_Teschler]

Hi Peter!

Yeah...he requested it because he wants an easier way to manage the output files for the on-line help system. The directory that formerly housed the output files is going away and he was thinking that it would be easier to manage the 3 file output of WinHelp than the 100+ files that the WebHelp system was generating. That way, he wouldn't have to move all of the files, check them into (and out of) the source control tool, and change the application calls multiple times. (it is for a PowerBuilder application, if that makes any difference).

I thought it was an odd request, but I get odd requests all the time.

I was not aware that you would need to download a seperate HLP viewer. We are on XP now, but will be rolling over to Win7 in the next year or so...that is going to be very frustrating if all of our users will no longer be able to view the existing help once they upgrade...grr.

[RoboColum_n_]

It should be possible for applications to pick up the contents of a folder to be included in the build. That way they don't have to specify specific files. Also have you thought about zipping the output to a compressed file and adding that to source control.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I believe you’d have to use RH for Word to create WinHelp; but I’m not sure you could open a RH HTML project .xpj file with it.