Links to individual topics in chm files (howto in firefox)

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eleanor

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Mar 4, 2009, 6:05:32 PM3/4/09
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Hi

I've been trying to insert links in a tiddler that open a specific
topic in a windows compiled help file (*.chm).
(Useful while writing notes as I learn new software)

I got it to work in Firefox (winXP) so I thought I'd share it.

1) Install the CHMReader (http://sourceforge.net/projects/chmreader/)
extension from the mozilla addons (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/
firefox/addon/3235).

2) In Firefox open the help file with ''File | Open CHM Files''. Open
the chm file index with ''View | Sidebar | CHM Reader'' if desired and
navigate to the desired topic.
Copy the the URL from the location bar and insert in a tiddler as
follows
[[test chm|chm:file://C:\myhelpfiledir\myhelpfile.chm!/mytopic.htm]]

Clicking on the link will open the topic in a new tab using the
CHMReader.

hope this is useful
Elfnor

TonyM

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Mar 4, 2009, 10:09:35 PM3/4/09
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Thanks Elfnor, It is useful.

This is a helpful tip as even with Microsoft's cryptic and overlapping
knowledge based articles, I can not see the content inside the CHM
files since a "security patch" stopped it working.

However this plugin gets around that problem and I can review the CHM
file in firefox, great thanks.

I do note, however, that inside a page of the CHM the internal links,
a hyperlink to an anchor in the page does not work, one needs to look
for it manually.

I am using portable firefox
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9) Gecko/
2008052906 Firefox/3.0

But don't think this is an issue.

Does it happen for you as well ? have you a fix.

PS It's is great to be able to link into a location of a CHM file from
a tiddler, good work letting us know.

TonyM

eleanor

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Mar 9, 2009, 10:56:18 PM3/9/09
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On Mar 5, 4:09 pm, TonyM <Anthony.Mus...@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> I do note, however, that inside a page of the CHM the internal links,
> a hyperlink to an anchor in the page does not work, one needs to look
> for it manually.

I think it's an issue with the CHM Reader and some types of chm files.
It works well (hyperlinks) on the files I was using such as
python25.chm that comes with python for windows but I find I have the
problems you saw (hyperlinks and contents sidebar don't work) with
most of the chm files that come with my default windows XP install.

Elfnor
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