How to add support of HTML help files (.chm) on Delphi XE2?

Question

How to add support of HTML help files (.chm) on Delphi XE2? We need to use A-links (A-keywords) on HelpContext property of every control to lookup help pages. D

Answer 1

It's not hard with F1 jump to a context.

Select Edit1 and press F1 . Help opens and Overview.htm is shown.

Prerequisite.

Edit1 Help settings:

sample.chm source settings.

sample.ali

IDH_Overview=Overview.htm
IDH_welcom=FirstTopic.htm
IDH_UsingtheMenus=Overview.htm

sample.h

#define IDH_Creating_Projects_and_Topics 1005
#define IDH_Overview 1003
#define IDH_UsingtheMenus 1009

Unit1.pas

unit Unit1;

interface

uses Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms,
  Dialogs, StdCtrls, HTMLHelpViewer, Vcl.ExtCtrls;

type
  TForm1 = class(TForm)
    HHALINKLOOKUP: TButton;
    JumpAnchor: TButton;
    Edit1: TEdit;
    Label1: TLabel;
    procedure FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
    procedure HHALINKLOOKUPClick(Sender: TObject);
    procedure JumpAnchorClick(Sender: TObject);
  end;

var
  Form1: TForm1;

implementation

{$R *.dfm}
var
hpPath : string;
link : HH_AKLINK;

procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
  hpPath := ExtractFilePath(Application.ExeName) +
    'HelpFile\sample.chm';
  Application.HelpFile := hpPath;
end;

procedure TForm1.HHALINKLOOKUPClick(Sender: TObject);
var
link : HH_AKLINK;
szUrl,szKey,szMsgText,szMsgTitle,szWindow : AnsiString;
begin
   szKey      := Edit1.Text; // 'UsingtheMenus';
   szUrl      :='Overview.htm';
   szMsgText  :='Error: Can''t find "'+Edit1.Text+'"!';
   szMsgTitle :='Error: HH_ALINK_LOOKUP';
   szWindow   :='main';

   with link do begin
   cbStruct    := sizeof(HH_AKLINK) ;
   fReserved   := False;
   pszKeywords := PChar(szKey);
   pszUrl      := nil;
   pszMsgText  := PChar(szMsgText);
   pszMsgTitle := PChar(szMsgTitle);
   pszWindow   := PChar(szWindow);
   fIndexOnFail:= False;
   end;
   HtmlHelpW(0, hpPath+'>main', HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC, DWORD_PTR(nil));
   HtmlHelpW(0, hpPath, HH_ALINK_LOOKUP, DWORD_PTR(@link));
end;

procedure TForm1.JumpAnchorClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
  HtmlHelpW(0, hpPath+'::/Overview.htm#'+Edit1.Text+'>main', HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC, DWORD(nil));
end;
end.

Here is a ready to use sample.chm and the source Download

There is a trick how to easily, to jump, not only to the .htm file but jumps directly to an anchor.

Change sample.ali

IDH_Overview=Overview.htm
IDH_welcom=FirstTopic.htm
IDH_UsingtheMenus=Overview.htm#UsingtheMenus

Insert an anchor at the place, you want to jump to in Overview.htm

[...]

Using the Menus and Toolbars
The menus and toolbars provide a complete set of tools 
[...]

Now it is possible with F1, jump directly to the desired point in overview.htm.