[Lazarus] Issue: http://mantis.freepascal.org/view.php?id=14365

[JoshyFun]

Mattias Gärtner wrote:
> 
> Why do you write that?
> a) you don't know it
> b) you don't like it

Clearly I don't know how to use application help, if it exists.

See attached image...

If I write my own LCL based application with Lazarus, as shown in the 
screenshot. How do I implement help for my application.

  - Click on main form and setup HelpXXX properties as shown in
    screenshot.
  - Create Help Button and implement OnClick event handler as shown
    in screenshot.
  - Make sure I have a mycoolapp.html file.
  - Run application.

Test:
  - Put focus it TEdit and press F1. --->  NOTHING HAPPENS.
  - Click the Help button.   --->  NOTHING HAPPENS


How do I implement help for my application?
What must the help format be? HLP, CHM, HTML, ???
What help viewer is it going to use?
   - I'm running Linux, so no CHM help viewer comes standard.
   - In both tests above the Web Browser never appeared with
     help either.

See my problem? As far as I can see, by looking at what I have done 
here, there is now built-in help support for applications built with 
Lazarus LCL.

I am NOT talking about LCL or FCL class documentation. That is handled 
by fpdoc and viewed with a Web Browser. Lazarus IDE has special support 
for view those help formats. But Lazarus LCL based application do not 
have that special support.


What I am proposing is being able to ship my application with help 
support. So my deployment will include the following files.

    - MyCoolApp  (executable)
    - lhelp      (or whatever the help viewer is called)
    - help/mycoolapp.html   (help files in help directory)
          or
    - MyCoolApp-help.zip    (help files packaged in a archive)


I would prefer a help viewer other than the Web Browser, otherwise I 
will not have Index, Search and Keyword support like WinHelp or LHelp gives.

Now if I can get by deployment example working as shown above, then the 
same could probably be applied for the Lazarus IDE (dialogs and setings 
help) as well.


Regards,
   - Graeme -

-- 
fpGUI Toolkit - a cross-platform GUI toolkit using Free Pascal
http://opensoft.homeip.net/fpgui/

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