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[ProHelp] [HTML Help Pack 2.0] [ProHelp+]

ProHelp 2.0(3.0,3.5)

[About Context-Sensitive Help] (Microsoft Design Specifications and Guidelines)
[Key Features]
[Detailed Features List]

Key Features

ProHelp is the most powerful Delphi and C++Builder VCL components for creating full-featured Context-Sensitive Help. Using ProHelp as add-on to your favorite help authoring tool, you can greatly enhance your application Context-Sensitive Help without additional coding! The best way to explore ProHelp features is running its Demo (Demo screen shot). Here we will use Microsoft Word to demonstrate ProHelp key features. Please follow instructions listed below.

  1. Open Microsoft Word. Press [Shift+F1] or choose the Help/What's This? main menu command to start up the temporary help mode. In this mode you can click an object to display context-sensitive help window for that object. Menu commands are also available in this mode!


  2. Choose the File/Open main menu command to display the Open dialog. Right-click an object (command button, text label, list box, etc..) to display the What's This? menu command.

  3. Click a small help mode button located in the right side of the Title Bar to start up the temporary help mode. Click a speed button to get help on.


  4. Choose Tools/Customize main menu command to open Customize dialog. Choose the Commands tab and select the Window and Help item in the Categories list box. In the Commands list box choose the What's This? speed button and drag it on a tool bar.

  5. Press it to start up the temporary help mode.

Thank you for your patience. Would you like to add context-sensitive help without additional coding?

Detailed Features List

  • Technical Requirements
    Delphi 2,3,4,5,6,7 or C++Builder 1,3,4,5,6 and Win 95/98/2000,2003/XP or NT.
  • Usage
    As a rule, all you need is to place
    TigHelpMonitor and TigHelpButton components on the application main form.
  • Customization
    TigHelpMonitor has a complete set of properties (see screen shot) and events for customization purposes.
  • Fastest Contextual User Assistance
    User access to help topics associated with visual objects (including menu commands, speed buttons and labels) can be via the right-click or left-click in the temporary Help mode.
    ProHelp automatically detects pop-up menus to disable What’s This? pop-up menu command.
  • Temporary Help Mode
    There are three ways to start up the temporary Help mode:
    • By pressing the Shift+F1 key combination.
    • By clicking the Help mode (What's This?) button.
    • By choosing the What’s This? command in the Help menu.
  • Help Mode Buttons
    Any form of your application can has its own the Help mode button. Any button can be used instead of the
    TigHelpButton component without additional coding.
  • Nonwindowed Controls
    Using the Tag property or a simplest event handler, you can associate help topics with nonwindowed controls (labels, speed buttons etc...). ProHelp 2.0 allows you to use the HelpContext property of the custom nonwindowed controls.
  • Dialog Boxes (Modal Forms)
    ProHelp automatically extends the temporary help mode maintained by Windows 95/98/2000 or NT for dialog boxes, making it possible to display help topics linked to nonwindowed controls and standard objects.
  • Standard Dialog Buttons
    ProHelp automatically provides hints and Help topics for standard dialog buttons – OK, Cancel, Apply, Help.
  • Labels
    ProHelp has a built-in, smart mechanism to detect context numbers indirectly assigned to labels. By default, the
    TLabel and TStaticText controls have the same context number as a windowed control specified by the FocusControl property.
  • Assigning Help Windows on the Fly
    You can specify context numbers on the fly by using special ProHelp events or the
    OnHelp event.
  • What’s This? Command of the Help Menu
    You can add What's This? command to the application Help Menu and ProHelp will automatically ensure its proper operation.
  • Menu Bar
    ProHelp automatically displays hints and help topics assigned to menu bar items.
  • Standard Window Objects
    ProHelp automatically displays hints and Help topics for standard objects of the non-client window area.
  • Other Features
    ProHelp has other useful features not listed above.
  • Documentation
    ProHelp has online User Guide and Reference.
  • Demo
    ProHelp has an excellent Demo (
    see screen shot).
HTML Help Pack 2.0 Top

HTML Help Pack extends Delphi/C++Builder help features, making it possible to use WinHelp and HTML Help engines transparently and much, much more. HTML Help Pack 2.0 is fully compatible with ProHelp - our flagship product. HTML Help Pack Demo (see screen shot) is a nice resource for learning purposes

Delphi/C++Builder uses the Application HelpCommand method as the wrapper around the WinHelp API to execute WinHelp commands. HTML Help Pack traps Application.HelpCommand() calls and routes them to HtmlHelp() or WinHelp() calls. Therefore, you can replace your application *.hlp files with the *.chm files without additional coding!

With HTML Help Pack 2.0 you will have:

  • Smart mapping WinHelp commands to HTML Help commands.
  • An easy to use wrapper around the HTML Help API.
  • Customizable attributes of the HTML Help pop-up window (color, font, etc…).
  • Auto positioning HTML-Help pop-up windows on the screen.
  • Several ways to specify texts of the HTML Help pop-up topics:
    String resources;
    Text file;
    TStringList object;
    OnHHGetPopupText event handler.
  • Several ways to specify aliases of the HTML Help topics:
    The [MAP] section of the HTML Help project file;
    Text file;
    TStringList object;
    OnHHGetAlias event handler.
  • Аability to use WinHelp engine to display pop-up topics in the HTML Help mode.
  • HTML Help notification events.
  • A special HTML Help window to "pop-up" (pseudo pop-up mode) topics in.

Technical Requirements

  • Delphi 2,3,4,5,6,7 or C++Builder 1,3,4,5,6.
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer.
  • HTML Help Workshop.
  • Win 95/98/2000/2003/XP or NT.
ProHelp 2.0(3.0,3,5)+ Top

ProHelp + consists of ProHelp 2.0(3.0,3.5) and HTML Help Pack 2.0.

[ProHelp] [HTML Help Pack 2.0] [ProHelp+]


Last modified on May-13-2004.
Copyright (c) 1998-2004 IG's Software.