OpenHelp overview

OpenHelp is a utility that lets you specify the exact scope of the material you routinely access when using Help. OpenHelp.exe is provided with C++Builder.

OpenHelp lets you customize which help files are searched when you use Help. You can set up several search ranges so you can select the most appropriate search range for your work at the time. The search range determines which help files are included in the help contents and which help files will be accessible from the index as well.

Several default search ranges are set up in OpenHelp. You can include all Help files, select only the Help files that cover features of the IDE, or select Microsoft Windows SDK help files. You can also add help files if you use other tools with C++Builder.

Select the topic you are interested in:

Starting OpenHelp

Selecting a search range

Creating a search range

Managing search ranges

Adding help files

Removing help files

Adding/removing table of contents entries from help files

Selecting which product to work with


Starting OpenHelp

To start OpenHelp:

Click the OpenHelp icon.

or

Click OpenHelp.exe in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Borland\OpenHelp, by default.

When you are done using OpenHelp, click OK to save any changes you made during the session. If you click Cancel, you will lose any changes you made (such as adding search ranges or changing the current search range).


Selecting a search range

To select a search range in OpenHelp:

1.	Click the Search Ranges tab in OpenHelp.

2.	Click on the search range you want to use in the Search Ranges list box.

3.	Choose Select.


Creating a search range

To create a search range in OpenHelp:

1.	Click the Search Ranges tab in OpenHelp.

2.	Choose Create.

3.	Type a name for the new search range and click OK.

4.	Select the Help files you want to be included from the Available Help Files list. Use the > and >> buttons to move files into Selected Help Files.

5.	When you are done using OpenHelp, click OK to save your changes including the new search range.

Note that you can also create a search range by copying an existing one and deleting or adding help files to it.

To create a search range by copying an existing one:

1.	Click the Search Ranges tab in OpenHelp.

2.	Click on the search range you want to copy in the Search Ranges list box.

3.	Choose Copy.

3.	Type a name for the new search range and click OK.

4.	Modify the list of Selected Help Files. Use the > and < buttons to add or delete files in the range.

5.	When you are done using OpenHelp, click OK to save your changes including the new search range.


Adding help files

To add help files to OpenHelp:

1.	Click the Search Ranges tab in OpenHelp.

2.	Choose Add below the Available Help Files list box.

3.	Browse to the .HLP file you want to add to Available Help Files then choose Open.


Removing help files

To remove help files from OpenHelp:

1.	Click the Search Ranges tab in OpenHelp.

2.	Select the help file you want to delete from OpenHelp.

3.	Choose Delete below the Available Help Files list box.

Note that removing a help file from OpenHelp does not delete the help file from disk.


Search Ranges page

On the Search Ranges page, you can see which search range is the Current Search Range, select  a new Current Search Range, or create, copy or delete search ranges. You can also add and remove help files from OpenHelp.


Current search range

The current search range is the search range that the Windows Help system uses in searching and displaying indexes of help files. Each product has its own current search range. The current search range for the product you are using is displayed on the Search Range page.


Search Ranges list

The Search Ranges list contains all the search ranges defined for the current product. Each search range contains a list of help files. The index entries of the help files that are part of the selected search range are included in the indexes of other help files that are associated with the current product.

The search range that is currently in use is displayed in the Current Search Range indicator, displayed above the Search Ranges list. You can change the Current Search Range by highlighting the desired search range in the Search Ranges list and choosing Select.

Create a new search range by choosing Create.

To copy a search range, highlight the search range you want to copy in the Search Ranges list then choose Copy.

To delete a search range, highlight the search range you want to delete in the Search Ranges list then choose Delete.


Select search range button

This button makes the search range that is currently highlighted in the Search Ranges list the current search range. Note that when Select is clicked, the search range name displayed in the Current Search Range indicator above the Search Range list changes to the newly selected search range.

The index entries of the help files that are included in the current search range are added to the indexes of the other help files that are associated with the current product.


Create search range button

This button creates a new, initially empty, search range for the current product. Clicking the Create button displays a dialog that prompts for the name of the new search range. The new search range name cannot be blank and cannot be the same as an existing search range.


Copy search range button

This button creates a copy of the currently highlighted search range in the Search Ranges list. Clicking the Copy button displays the Create search range dialog that prompts for the name of the new search range. The new search range name cannot be blank and cannot be the same as an existing search range. The new range will contain the same help files as the range from which it was copied.


Create search range dialog box

Enter a name for the new search range in the Search Range Name field. The new search range name cannot be blank and cannot be the same as an existing search range.


Delete search range button

This button deletes the search range that is highlighted in the Search Ranges list. You cannot delete the Current Search Range.


Available Help Files list

Available Help Files lists all the help files associated with the current product that are not included in the highlighted search range in the Search Ranges list. Files in this list can be added to search ranges.


Add help files button

This button displays the Open File dialog allowing additional help files to be added to the Available Help Files list. Adding files to this list associates those files with the current product, and allows those files to be added to search ranges.

Any files added to the list must already exist and have an .HLP extension.

If a file is added that resides in the directory defined as the current product's home directory, the file will have its contents (.CNT) file modified to include the configuration file for that product's Current Search Range. A file that is added that is not in the current product's home directory will not have its contents file modified.


Remove help files button

This button removes the help files selected in the Available Help Files list from the list. Removing help files from the list also removes them from any search ranges for the current product they are included in. Removing the help files from the list does not delete the files from the disk, it only removes the association between the help file and the product.

Any files removed that reside in the directory defined as the current product's home directory, will have their contents (.CNT) files modified to remove the configuration file for that product. Files that are removed that are not in the current product's home directory do not need to have their contents file modified.


Add (>) files button

This button adds the highlighted help files in the Available Help Files list to the Selected Help Files list and to the highlighted search range in the Search Ranges list.


Add all (>>) files button

This button adds all the files in the Available Help Files list to the Selected Help Files list and to the highlighted search range in the Search Ranges list.


Remove (<) files button

This button removes the highlighted help files in the Selected Help Files list and from the highlighted search range in the Search Ranges list and returns them to the Available Help Files list.


Remove all (<<) files button

This button removes all the help files in the Selected Help Files list and from the highlighted search range in the Search Ranges list and returns them to the Available Help Files list.


Selected Help Files list

Select Help Files lists all the help files associated with the current product that are included in the highlighted search range in the Search Ranges list.


Contents Files page

The Contents Files page allows you to select one of the help files associated with the current product and add or remove the table of contents entries will be available in that file by selecting one or more of the .TOC files available. The order in which the .TOC files are selected determines the order of the table of contents entries when viewing the help file.

You can also add or remove .TOC files to the Available Contents Files list.


Help File list

The Help File list is a drop down list of all the help files associated with the current product. Use this list to select the help file whose table of contents entries you want to modify.


Available Contents Files list

The Available Contents Files list contains a list of all the contents (.TOC) files that are associated with the current product that are not associated with the help file selected in the Help File list.


Add contents files button

This button displays the Open File dialog allowing additional contents files to be added to the Available Contents Files list. Adding files to this list associates those files with the current product, and allows those files to be added to help files.

Any files added to the list must already exist and have a .TOC extension.


Remove contents files button

This button removes the contents files selected in the Available Contents Files list from the list. Removing contents files from the list also removes them from any help files for the current product they are included in. Removing the contents files from the list does not delete the files from the disk, it only removes the association between the contents file and the product.


Add (>) contents files button

This button adds the highlighted contents files in the Available Contents Files list to the Selected Contents Files list and to the selected help file in the Help File list.


Add all (>>) contents files button

This button adds all the contents files in the Available Contents Files list to the Selected Contents Files list and to the selected help file in the Help Files list.


Remove (<) contents files button

This button removes the highlighted contents files in the Selected Contents Files list and from the selected help file in the Help Files list list and returns them to the Available Contents Files list.


Remove all (<<) contents files button

This button removes all the contents files in the Selected Contents Files list and from the selected help file in the Help Files list and returns them to the Available Contents Files list.


Selected Contents Files list

Selected Contents Files displays a list of all the contents files associated with the current product that are included in the selected help file in the Help File list. The order in which the contents files appear in the list is the order they are displayed in the help file's table of contents.


Products page

The Products page shows which product is the currently selected product. It allows you to select which product you want to work with. You can only work with search ranges and help files that are associated with the current product. You can also create new products and delete existing products.


Currently Selected Product

Currently Selected Product displays which product you are currently using. Only the current product's search ranges and help files can be viewed and edited. To change the current product, highlight a different product name in the Installed Products list and click the Select button.


Installed Products list

The Installed Products list lists all the products installed in OpenHelp. The products listed can have help files and search ranges associated with them.


Select product button

The Select product button takes the highlighted product in the Installed Products list the current product.


Create product button

The Create product button creates a new product in the Installed Products list. Clicking the Create button displays the Create New Product dialog. To create a new product the following information must be provided:

The name of the product. For example, "C++Builder".

The user supplied name of the configuration file for the product. Another product cannot use the same configuration file name. The name given should not include a path or a file extension. For example, the configuration file name given for C++Builder might be "bcb".

The home help directory for the product. This is the directory where the help files for the product are stored. Most Borland products create a directory called "Help" one level below the product's main directory to hold the product's help files. This Help directory would be the product's home help directory. For example, by default C++Builder is installed in the ..\CBuilder directory. The help files for C++Builder are, by default, installed in the directory..\CBuilder\HELP. So, if using the default directories, the home help directory for C++Builder would be ..\CBuilder\HELP.


Create New Product dialog box

To create a new product the following information must be provided in the fields:

Name

The name of the product. For example, "C++Builder".

Configuration file

The user-supplied name of the configuration file for the product. Another product cannot use the same configuration file name. The name given should not include a path or a file extension. For example, the configuration file name for C++Builder might be "bcb".

Home directory

The home help directory for the product. This is the directory where the help files for the product are stored. Most Borland products create a directory called "Help" one level below the product's main directory to hold the product's help files. This Help directory would be the product's home help directory. For example, by default C++Builder is installed in the ..\CBuilder directory. The help files for C++Builder are, by default, installed in the directory ..\CBuilder\HELP. So, if using the default directories, the home help directory for C++Builder would be ..\CBuilder\HELP. The name of the directory can be typed in the field, or click the folder tool see the directory tree and select a directory.


Delete product button

The Delete product button deletes the highlighted product in the Installed Products list from OpenHelp, along with all of its associated search ranges and help files. No files are deleted from the disk they are only removed from OpenHelp.


OK button

OK saves any changes made and exits OpenHelp.


Cancel button

Cancel discards any changes made and exits OpenHelp.


Apply button

Apply saves any changes made.


Help button

Help displays information on using OpenHelp.