How can I open a specific node of a CHM (Windows Help) file in the command line?

Question

Specifically, the CHM help file I'm thinking about is the PHP User Manual. I would like some way to be able to open this file directly to a given function reference (node) in the document. Like this:

C:\> php_manual_en.chm json_encode

Only that ↑ syntax isn't correct -- that just ends up opening the manual to the TOC. Can CHM files accept command line arguments? Is there some way to open them directly to certain nodes?

Answer 1

Try to extract your favorite topic address (URL) from the CHM help viewer window and copy to the clipboard:

mk:@MSITStore:D:\php_manual_en.chm::/res/function.json-encode.html

Copy into the cmd text box and press ENTER - the single topic opens in IE (see attached snap 1)

Add a praefix hh.exe for using the CHM help viewer like:

hh.exe mk:@MSITStore:D:\php_manual_en.chm::/res/function.json-encode.html

You'll see the help viewer with Table of Contents (TOC) in the navigation pane and the topic.

Snap 1

Snap 2