HTML help files (CHM) can be converted to HTML Executable projects with the free CHM to Exe add-on.
CHM To Exe (or Chm2exe) is a free program that allows you to convert Microsoft HTML Help files (.chm) into stand-alone applications (.exe). With this program, you can open CHM files, explore them, extract all source files or create related HTML Executable projects: with CHM To Exe and HTML Executable, compile HTML Help source files into single and secure executable files that may even be customized at will.
HTML Executable lets you compile help files or documentation in HTML format for your applications. You can use the HTML Executable APIs to open help publications, to tell them which help topic should be displayed, to close them when your application is closed, etc... This lets you integrate publications and ebooks with your own applications.
Moreover, ebooks and publications made with HTML Executable have extensive API and command-line support:
- each page compiled in an ebook receives a unique map ID. HTML Executable generates a list of all of these map IDs called a map file. You can configure HTML Executable to export the map file in common programming languages like Pascal, VB, C++ that can be directly integrated into your application's project.
- create context-sensitive help files by always displaying the requested page immediately even if the publication is already launched thanks to API or command-line options.
Command line is especially useful with the "Only one instance of the publication" option (available in Security -> Global Protection). For instance, if you launch your publication again with different command line arguments, the second and subsequent invocation of the EXE doesn't start a new instance, but uses the one that's already running and only changes the page displayed in it according to the command line.
For instance: if you create an HTML exe application myapp.exe, you can get myapp.exe to start with a certain page by using myapp.exe mapid 1024 where 1024 is the mapid for the page you want. If you then call myapp.exe mapid 1025 the first instance of the app will show the page with mapid 1025.
Finally, the HTML Executable API SDK is available to registered users on request if you want to get deeper integration. For instance, this help file is made with HTML Executable and the program directly interacts with it.
