How to use CHM HTML Help file with Delphi XE application?

Question

Delphi - How to use CHM HTML Help file with Delphi XE application?

http://edn.embarcadero.com/article/27842 article describes how to use CHM file. I did all the steps described there.

Added

const
  HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC        = $0000;
  HH_DISPLAY_TOC          = $0001;
  HH_CLOSE_ALL            = $0012;

function HtmlHelp(hwndCaller: HWND;
  pszFile: PChar; uCommand: UINT;
  dwData: DWORD): HWND; stdcall;
  external 'HHCTRL.OCX' name 'HtmlHelpA';

and public function HH`

function TForm1.HH(Command: Word; Data: Integer;
  var CallHelp: Boolean): Boolean;
begin
  if (Command = 0) and (Data = 0) then
      HtmlHelp(Application.Handle,
        PChar(Application.HelpFile),
        HH_DISPLAY_TOC, 0);

  CallHelp := False;
end;

In FormCreate

  HelpDir:=ExtractFilePath(Application.EXEName);
  Application.HelpFile:=HelpDir+'Sample.chm';
  Application.OnHelp := HH;

On the button1 OnClick event added the following code:

HH(0, 0, dummy);

After clicking on the button1, cursor becomes an hourglass for a while, and that's all.

What I'm doing wrong ?

And how the CHM help file can be used from DelphiXE application?

Abvolt

Don't you just add HtmlHelpViewer to your uses clause? And that should be it. – Halley

HTMLHelpViewer is in my uses clause,so it's not the reason. – Abvolt

If you use that you need nothing else – Halley

Thank You. I've created a help test project. It works there. But it doesn't work in my main project ((, which is a MDI application. – Abvolt

Clearly you've got something wrong in your project. Can't tell what from here. – Halley

Use HtmlHelpW instead of HtmlHelpA if you are using Unicode (XE already support Unicode). – Wooer

Answer 1

The article you are working from pre-dates built in support for HTML help. These days you do the following:

• Include HtmlHelpViewer in at least one of your uses clauses.
• Set Application.HelpFile to the path of your help file.

And that's it. The code in your question should be removed. The built-in help viewer takes care of all those details.

Halley

Include HtmlHelpViewer and Set Application.HelpFile and like a miracle everything goes by itself. OP has informed you HTMLHelpViewer is in my uses clause,so it's not the reason. Also as you can clearly see he uses Application.HelpFile:=HelpDir+'Sample.chm'; and now? Your answer has as always immediately 2 upvotes. But can not help OP. This is a pity. – Idiopathy

@moskito I don't understand your comment – Halley

Just in case someone still use Delphi 5 (same as me) it should be UseHTMLHelp instead of HtmlHelpViewer. – Satterwhite