Windows Help Authoring Tool (WHAT) for use with WinWord 6.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0 - Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.1 - The Microsoft Visual Basic programming system for Windows, version 3.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SUMMARY ======= Welcome to the Windows Help Authoring Toolkit for Word for Windows 6.0! This is a Microsoft User Education internal tool and is unsupported outside the company. What it is: ----------- The Windows Help Authoring Toolkit (WHAT) consists of a Word for Windows 6.0 template and various tools that modify Word for Windows. You can use the WHAT to create and edit Help topic files. WHAT makes creating Help files easier by providing dialog boxes to add Help features that would normally be created using specialized Help coding and word-processing functions. For example, instead of entering footnotes for a topic's context string and title, you can simply type the information in a dialog box. WHAT also has Help Files to assist you and Windows programs for creating bitmap hotspots and managing your Help project. The Help Authoring Template (WHAT6.DOT) makes it easier for you to: * Create and edit topic files. * Insert and edit topics, graphics and hot spots. * Format topic text and graphics. * Save topic files in RTF format. * View partial or complete builds of the topic file in Windows Help. * Insert bitmaps into your help file. * Apply help styles. * Format Lists. How to Obtain WHAT6 and related files ------------------------------------- WHAT6.EXE, a self-extracting zipped file, contains the WHAT6 tool and related files. This file can be downloaded from the Microsoft Software Library (MSL) accessable from the following services: - Microsoft Software Library (MSL) on CompuServe (GO MSL). - Microsoft Software Library on Internet (ftp.microsoft.com cd softlib) - Microsoft Download Service (206)936-MSDL. MORE INFORMATION ================ How the WHAT6.DOT Template Works -------------------------------- The Help Authoring Template is similar to other Word for Windows templates: it contains a set of specialized macros and styles that become available when you open a document based on the template. The template modifies existing commands and adds new commands to the Word for Windows menus. The result is a version of Word for Windows that has all the word-processing functionality and yet is optimized for creating Help files. Requirements ------------ The WHAT6 template requires Windows Help version 3.10.505 which is fully compatible with Word for Windows 6.0 RTF. WHAT6 is only compatible with Word 6.0 and the version of the help compiler shipped herein. You can also use the Help Project Editor (WHPE.EXE) along with the Help Authoring Template. What WHAT includes: / 33 files / 2 MB --------------------------------------- Template Files: --------------- WHAT6.DOT Copy to the WinWord Template Directory specified in your WIN.INI WHAT6.STY Copy to the WinWord Template Directory specified in your WIN.INI WHAT6.INI Copy to your Windows Directory STYLES.DLL Copy to the C:\Windows\System directory (or where your DLLs are stored) Help Tools: ----------- WHPE.EXE Help Project Editor. Copy to your help working directory. SHED.EXE HotSpot Editor. Copy to your help working directory. MRBC.EXE Multiple Resolution Bitmap Compiler. Help Authoring Help Files: -------------------------- WHPE.HLP Project Editor Help. Copy to your help working directory. WHAT6.HLP Help on WHAT6.DOT. Preferably, where your template is stored. BLDERROR.HLP Help Compiler Errors. Copy to your help working directory. HAG.HLP Help Authoring Guide. Copy to your help working directory. Help Compiler Files: -------------------- HC.EXE Version 3.10.505. Copy anywhere on your path. HC.ERR Help Compiler Error file. Copy to same directroy as the HC.EXE. HCP.EXE Protect Mode Version 3.10.505. Copy anywhere on your path. HCP.ERR Help Compiler Error file. Copy to the same directroy as HCP.EXE. Sample Files: Copy these to a \SAMPLE directory in your working directory. ------------- HELPEX.HPJ HELPEX.RTF Help Bitmaps: Copy these to the \BITMAP directory specified in your *.HPJ ------------- BIGBUT.BMP BOOK.BMP BULLET.BMP CHICLET.BMP CLOSED.BMP DOC.BMP EMDASH.BMP LEAf.BMP MINUS.BMP NEXT.BMP OPEN.BMP PLUS.BMP HINT.BMP Misc: ----- WHAT6.ICO WHAT icon for your Program Manager HAG.ICO Help Authoring Guide Icon. WHAT6.TXT This file. On-line Help on Help -------------------- After you copy the WHAT6.HLP file to your hard-drive, note which directory it is in. You'll need to modify the macro called HelpOnWHat to point to this location. 1. Choose Macro from the Tools menu 2. Select HelpOnWhat and choose Edit 3. Find the line of code that reads: t = WinHelp(hwnd, "c:\windows\what6.hlp", hlpINDEX, 0) 4. and edit the command line so that it matches the location of the help file. 5. Close and save. Multiple Resolution Graphics ---------------------------- The WHAT contains tools to help you compile graphics into your help file that look good on monitors of various resolutions. To create MRBMs (Multi-resolution Bitmaps) first take screen dumps your graphic in each of the resolutions you need (i.e. EGA, VGA, 8514). Then create three seperate .SHG files with SHED.EXE (provided in WHAT) and and your hotspots. Even if you don't need hotspots, create the seperate *.SHF files. Then combine the three .SHG graphics into one .MRB using MRBC.EXE (also provided in WHAT.) When making this kind of file, you should make sure to archive the original .BMP's and .SHG files, in case you need to modify anything later. It is useful to use SHED even if you're not putting hotspots in the graphic. SHED interprets graphics the same way WinHelp does. Once saved in SHED you can be reasonably sure that the graphics will display well in Help.