How to create a help file

Question

I want to create a help file opens when pressed F1 anytime. How to create it and include to code?

Answer 1

You are asking two things which are separate issues:

• Create a help file.

This can be tricky depending on how you do it. There are many different options, some launch a web browser to a online help while others launch a help viewer of some kind. I have also seen people having simple help viewer implemented in simple controls like some kind of browser control or rich text viewer. To create a external file (like a *.chm file) I would use a commercial package like robohelp, there are SDKs from Microsoft, but packages like RoboHelp makes lift so much easier.

• Launch the help

To get the help to be displayed you normally (in the case of an *.chm file or an web browser) need to launch the viewer program. The help SDK from Microsoft contains help for this, but you may also just lauch the program as any other program. Take a look at the System.Diagnostics.Process class.

Answer 2

There is a help SDK that microsoft provides check it out: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms670169

Im assuming this is what your looking for?

you could set F1 to one of these HTML pages?

Answer 3

If you want to create a CHM help file you may check out HelpNDoc which is a perfect tool to create PDF,HTML and CHMs instantly. If it comes to launching, mrz is also perfectly right.

Answer 4

You can create your help in HTML format and for viewing, you can create a Form which has an embedded browser in it, and load the index (or whatever you call the first page) in the browser.

Answer 5

If your program is rather simple, a single HTML file opened in the user's default browser should be ok. But if Your application is a bit more complex, there's no real alternative to a chm file.

You might also include a PDF which describes common use-cases. (Like a book about using your software)