Editing Windows .hlp files

[Franc Zabkar]

I need to edit/translate a Russian language .hlp file. Does anyone
know of a suitable freeware help file editor that runs under Windows
98? Is it even possible to do this? I'd rather not re-create the help
file from scratch as the original has some embedded graphics.

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

[Gary S. Terhune]

Check this Franc:
http://www.helpscribble.com/decompiler.html See section titles "Decompiling
Existing HLP Files". It suggests that HLP files are compiled from HPJ and
RTF files, plus any image files. Suggests that the text first section
provides for a HLP compiler.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"Franc Zabkar" <fza...@iinternode.on.net> wrote in message
news:jj4do3d95q12fpcba...@4ax.com...

[Alan Edwards]

Not exactly what you asked for as it is not freeware but I played
about with this a long time ago with Win98.
Help to RTF - http://www.herdsoft.com/catalog/ehlp2rtf.html

I see I still have 2.12 installed on a Win98 machine though I didn't
ever seriously use it.

...Alan
--
Alan Edwards, MS MVP Windows - Internet Explorer
http://dts-l.com/index.htm

On Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:08:31 +1100, in
microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion, Franc Zabkar

[Franc Zabkar]

On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:06:53 -0800, "Gary S. Terhune" <none> put
finger to keyboard and composed:

>Check this Franc:
>http://www.helpscribble.com/decompiler.html See section titles "Decompiling
>Existing HLP Files". It suggests that HLP files are compiled from HPJ and
>RTF files, plus any image files. Suggests that the text first section
>provides for a HLP compiler.

Thanks, that worked! The decompiler extracted the HPJ and RTF files,
as well as the WMF images.

Thanks to Alan as well.

[Gary S. Terhune]

Well, I THOUGHT I'd posted an update, but it's disappeared (not even in my
Sent box).

Microsoft has it's own "Microsoft Help Workshop". It works very nicely.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/office97dev/helpws97/4.03/win98/en-us/hcwsetup.exe

I had problems with the compiler provided by that other site, so I went
looking some more. While playing with the above, I found a cute one. If you
Cancel the installation of the above, after accepting the EULA (when it
offers a WinHelp dialogue with Cancel or Next), the final dialogue has a
button that says, "Darn!" instead of "OK". Had me wondering until I found
the file at MS and checked it out.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"Franc Zabkar" <fza...@iinternode.on.net> wrote in message

news:d9ffo31v5rl08k6fa...@4ax.com...

[Franc Zabkar]

On Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:47:16 -0800, "Gary S. Terhune" <none> put

finger to keyboard and composed:

>Well, I THOUGHT I'd posted an update, but it's disappeared (not even in my

>Sent box).
>
>Microsoft has it's own "Microsoft Help Workshop". It works very nicely.
>http://download.microsoft.com/download/office97dev/helpws97/4.03/win98/en-us/hcwsetup.exe
>
>I had problems with the compiler provided by that other site, so I went
>looking some more. While playing with the above, I found a cute one. If you
>Cancel the installation of the above, after accepting the EULA (when it
>offers a WinHelp dialogue with Cancel or Next), the final dialogue has a
>button that says, "Darn!" instead of "OK". Had me wondering until I found
>the file at MS and checked it out.

Thanks. I had already found that freeware compiler and used it to
create a new HLP file after translating the original Russian RTF to
English.

BTW, Google's "translator" still has a looong way to go.

For anyone interested in creating their own help documentation (in
.hlp format, not .chm), this freeware looks promising:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Authoring-tools/Help-e-book-creators/Shalom-Help-Maker.shtml