Declined Ability to add Help Files to TCEdit Help Menu

[Joe Caverly]

In UltraEdit, I can add help files to the help menu.

This example shows the help file for Harbour added to the UltraEdit help menu.

This is the Add Help Files dialog from UltraEdit.

A similar facility for TCEdit would be welcome.

Joe

 

[Charles Dye]

If so, it should probably allow .CHM files as well as .EWRITER files.

 

[Joe Caverly]

Agreed.

Very few applications use the .ewriter format.

The majority use .chm format.

TCmd is the only program on my Windows 10 system that uses the .ewriter format.

Joe

 

[rconn]

.chm files were deprecated by Microsoft more than 20 years ago. They have a LOT of issues with anything more recent than Windows XP, and any developer still using them is (1) lazy, and (2) doesn't care about his users.

 

[vefatica]

The .ewriter stuff pales in comparison to .chm in functionality and user-friendliness. I've never had an issue with a CHM file on Windows 10.

I have no other product which uses the .ewriter help, nor do I know of one. What do those developers who are not lazy and who care about their users use?

 

[Charles Dye]

I confess to the "lazy" part.

Oh, and you can add "cheap". Creating .CHM files costs nothing, which is the right price for me.

 

[rconn]

The .ewriter stuff pales in comparison to .chm in functionality and user-friendliness.

You have that sentence exactly backwards.

CHM files have a fixed layout (topic pane only). No customization or skinning. Which is OK if you think XP is the pinnacle of UI design.
CHM files do not work on network drives.
CHM files do not support high resolution displays.
CHM files do not support Unicode. (Since > 60% of TCMD users are non-English speakers, this is kind of important!)
CHM files are not cross-platform (Windows only).

I've never had an issue with a CHM file on Windows 10.

CHM files are a security disaster. If you ever try to distribute your CHM files to thousands of users, you will welcome death.

I have no other product which uses the .ewriter help, nor do I know of one. What do those developers who are not lazy and who care about their users use?

Most use HTML files. Which is what .ewriter files are (local webhelp, packaged in a zip).

 

[vefatica]

I'd like it more if ...

1. It could show me the keyword index (left pane) and a topic (right pane) at the same time (same for search).

2. (If not 1, above), I wish it would remember that I want the left pane hidden (I have very little use for the table of contents)

3. I could make the default (not topic-specific) view be the keyword index (never want the overview)

4. Instant search worked with fewer than 3 letters (1 would be nice)

5. When I have gone from the keyword index to a topic, the back button (<, top left) take me back to the keyword index (and not to the overview). This would not be necessary if 1 above.

 

[Joe Caverly]

Ref: Open Help File at Keyword Index

Joe