Re: Seeking info re: tools for demonstrative tutorials

["Doug, Data Librarian at Ext 4225" <engstromdd -at- PHIBRED -dot- COM>]

Patrick:

While I would offer the caution that I haven't actually done this, the
following approach would seem to be worth investigating:

1)  Display the "sample window" by firing up another copy of your app from
help, using the EXECPROGRAM macro within Help, triggered by a button-press or
hyperlink.  This is much easier if you can control your app's window size and
placement by using a startup parameter.

2)  Run your demonstration with the stock-model Windows Recorder or a
third-party program with similar functionality.  I believe this could also be
done by EXECPROGRAM.

3)  Display the desired text chunks by using a secondary Help window.

The hardest part will be passing the focus from window to window, which might
require a custom .DLL, but that's not that big a deal.

Also, naming files in the [BAGGAGE] section of the Help Project File may help
speed up response time.

For details on how to set all this up, talk to somebody with access to the
Microsoft Developer's CD (or better yet, get access yourself). Look in the
section called "Unsupported Tools:Windows Help Authoring System." (It's Help
Author that's unsupported, not the Help Macros). I think there's also some of
the same information in the Windows SDK.

WinHelp is a very powerful system, but it takes some work to use it.  With the
right references and information, however you can build almost anything.

Doug
ENGSTROMDD -at- phibred -dot- com