[Lazarus] Application context-sensitive help using the IDE/lhelp protocol was: Building help files: the nitty-gritty

[Reinier Olislagers]

On 17-7-2012 10:36, Reinier Olislagers wrote:
> On 17-7-2012 10:15, Mark Morgan Lloyd wrote:
>>From another outsider's view, wouldn't this be a solution:
> 1. document the IPC mechanism used for communication between IDE and
> lhelp so application developers can use it

Added some notes on
http://wiki.freepascal.org/IDE_Development#Working_8
Although that page says: "This page contains notes for lazarus core
developers about ongoing development." it seems like it can serve as
documentation of realized development as well.

See lazarus\components\chmhelp\democontrol for a project that
demonstrates IPC communication.

The source code
(lazarus\components\chmhelp\packages\help\lhelpcontrol.pas) is quite
legible... even for me ;)
While I've submitted some more comments in issue 22467, I think it can
serve very well as documentation for the protocol.
AFAIU it could be used as-is in applications, perhaps aided by taking
inspiration from the code in
lazarus\components\chmhelp\packages\idehelp\lazchmhelp.pas

Creating a component that includes lhelpcontrol added with some
functionality from chmhelppkg should be quite doable.

I can't seem to find any license info for these packages though. Is it
modified LGPL?

> 2. compile and distribute lhelp with your application... should be
> possible already, shouldn't it?
> 3. in application: start lhelp and pass messages using 1.