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Contextual help project

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mywan:
I would also like to inquire about the copyright issues if I used some of the help file source code contained in \masm32\help\*.chm to create a more friendly help file structure, as described below. I also think a project like this is worthy of attention in the MASM SDK release.

The ASM/MASM documentation contains a lot of information, yet the process of finding any particular material can be laborious. Even if it wasn't spread around multiple help files they are not searchable. Neither are these series of help files very friendly to embedding in context sensitive help. Such as placing the cursor over "lfcnt" and pressing F1 to go directly to "hh.exe C:\masm32\help\masmlib.chm::/lfcnt.htm". Masmlib.chm tends to be one of the more friendly for this feature, but remains difficult to search and lacks cross referenced linking. Especially to other help files.

I would like to recreate most of these help files in a single well cross linked help system to make finding very specific information as simple as a single keystroke. Various index pages could then group these pages in logical content so that what was previously included as separate help files are categories in the content index. There wouldn't even be a limit on the number of index pages, or even index of index pages. In an uncompiled form it could also be hosted on the web and retain the same functionality for integration into text editors. The forum code tags could also auto-link these keywords to specific mnemonic help files.

Personally a well designed help system would save me more than 90% of my time on the learning curve, and greatly reduce development time forever. This means that every keyword, regardless of how basic or seemingly inane, should have its own page as <keyword>.htm, or <keyword>.chm in compiled form. These can also be back linked to any index page(s) that include them. Also any keywords mentioned in those pages should be crosslinked. This could be done wiki style and simply wrap the keywords in [[[<keyword>]]], such that a macro could expand them into links. It is after all the arcane-ish mnemonics of asm that makes it such an arcane beast for most people. This capacity would massively reduce the difficulties these mnemonics create for people.

The main idea is to provide full and complete integration of a singular MASM help file system into text editors, forum content, web searches, etc. How many others here would be interested in a help system of this nature? I think it would also generate a lot of new interest in the language itself.

jj2007:
Here is one way to do it:
- decompile the whole stuff
- load the contents into an array
- do a full text search
- show a list of matches
- let the user click on it
- display the HTML

My first attempt shows that speedwise it can be done, here for MasmLib.chm:

31 ms for loading 201 files
Type a search term (Esc+Enter to exit): bitmap
Found in \masm32\help\MasmLib\BitmapFromFile.htm
Found in \masm32\help\MasmLib\BitmapFromMemory.htm
Found in \masm32\help\MasmLib\BitmapFromResource.htm
Found in \masm32\help\MasmLib\BmpButton.htm
Found in \masm32\help\MasmLib\DisplayBmp.htm
Found in \masm32\help\MasmLib\Image Functions.htm
Found in \masm32\help\MasmLib\Notes On Encryption.htm
Found in \masm32\help\MasmLib\VerticalTile.htm
Search took 1 ms

No problem to do that simultaneously for all 10 CHM files, provided there are no name conflicts. Of course, a fulltext search in the whole package would then cost 10 milliseconds instead of one ;-)

Source & exe attached.

mywan:
Every one of those files found to contain "bitmap" are contained in one help file: masmlib.chm. I use a search app to search in files to find references in the compiled chm. To retrieve a page id I can directly access requires a more specialized search though, and the chm files don't even have a search function of their own. So decompiling is really the only way to get direct linking access to a found reference, because otherwise you don't know where in the help file to find the reference.

I think the entire help file system needs a complete rewrite. That would start with a huge list of individual pages and a template to provide a uniform layout.

Edit: Just read your source and realized masmlib.chm was the only one you decompiled. Even without decompiling these strings can be found as plain text. Though it still leaves the main problem unresolved.

hutch--:
I don't like to rain on the parade but there is very good reason why the entire MASM32 SDK is a copyright work and will remain that way.

The help files are split up into categories so that the user does not have to climb through a mountain of other stuff to find what they need.

Try and find anything SDK in the current batch of Microsoft help files and you will well understand why I don't want a massive single file for all of the different forms of data.

mywan:
I'll respect the copyrights :t It was pretty much to be expected anyway.
I suppose I can still refer to them by name. I am still going to develop my own context sensitive help system simply because I really can't be very productive otherwise. I'm literally spending several hours a day trying to dig out information that should be milliseconds away. Not everything there belongs in context sensitive help anyway.

Perhaps I will simply create a redirector a text editor can use to retrieve the proper command line to get the proper chm page, such as:
hh.exe "C:\masm32\help\hlhelp.chm::/Using%20.REPEAT%20Syntax.htm"
My Drawer program I intend to rewrite in asm is capable of this, if configured right, by default, and requires the user to actually posses the help files from the SDK. I can then include some html, perhaps compiled, files for keywords that are not included and part of the asm core mnemonics.

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