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Q91025: Creating Help Files Compatible with Windows 3.0 and 3.1

Article: Q91025
Product(s): Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0,3.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kb16bitonly
Last Modified: 06-NOV-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) versions 3.0, 3.1 
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SUMMARY
=======

Windows help files are a convenient tool for documenting applications and
systems. Because Windows versions 3.0 and 3.1 have different help engines, files
that are optimized for use under Windows 3.1 cannot be used under 3.0. The
Windows 3.1 Software Development Kit (SDK) includes help compilers to build help
files compatible with both help engines. It also includes the 3.1 version of the
help engine (WINHELP.EXE) as a redistributable file. By shipping the new help
engine with their applications, developers can take advantage of the new help
features in applications built to run under Windows 3.0.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Because the functionality of the Windows 3.1 Help engine (WINHELP.EXE) is so
much greater, it is usually preferred to build help files to take advantage of
such new features as metafiles, tables, segmented graphics, secondary help
windows, and macros. If a help source file is designed for these features, it
usually cannot be compiled using the 3.0 version of the help compiler
(HC30.EXE).

Because designing and maintaining two help systems is usually not desirable, many
programmers may opt for using only the Windows 3.0 Help features. Earlier files
built with HC30.EXE work with the Windows 3.1 Help engine, but help files
compiled with the Windows 3.1 Help compiler (HC31.EXE) cannot be used with the
Windows 3.0 Help engine.

A better solution is to design for and use the Windows 3.1 features, compiling
the file with HC31.EXE. The application's installation must then include the new
Windows Help engine and instructions (or program support) to install it. Failure
to use the correct help engine causes the Windows 3.0 version of Windows Help to
issue an error indicating that the help file is incorrect.

The Windows 3.1 SDK comes with a number of redistributable files, two of which
are WINHELP.EXE and WINHELP.HLP. These files are in the "redist" subdirectory in
the directory where the SDK is installed. Because the redistributable file
installation is optional when the SDK is installed, this directory may not
exist. The files are also in the normal Windows directory and can be copied from
there for redistribution.

WINHELP.EXE is the actual help engine for Windows. WINHELP.HLP is the help file
for Windows Help and should be distributed with the .EXE to ensure that users
have instructions available for using the new help engine. Both of these files
should be installed in the Windows load directory on the target disk. They will
replace the existing Windows 3.0 files. Within a Windows installation
application the Windows directory path can be obtained using the
GetWindowsDirectory() API function.

Additional query words: no32bit 3.00 3.10 winhelp hc30 hc31 hc

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Keywords          : kb16bitonly 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbWin3xSearch kbSDKSearch kbWinSDKSearch kbWinSDK300 kbWinSDK310
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0,3.1

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