FrameMaker MIF to RTF

We’ve mentioned the Help Compiler a few times, and you may be wondering if it’s some extra-cost tool you need in addition to our filter. No; it’s free. There is only one company that provides a Windows Help Compiler, and that’s Microsoft. MS bundles it with many of their development tools, so if you have Visual C++ or Visual Basic around, you already have a copy of it. If you don’t, you can download it from the Microsoft Web site, for free. There are two versions. The older one (HC505) supports Win 3.1 (and is usable on all later Windows versions). The newer one, Help Workshop (HCW), does a nicer job but produces .hlp files that are only usable under Win 95, NT (any version), or later. Our filter produces .rtf topic files that are perfectly acceptable to both of them. (MS also has a free compiler for HTML Help; our HTML filter works well with it.)

The Help Compiler has its own version of an .ini file, much like our filter’s. These files are of type .hpj, and are called Help Project files (.hhp for HTML Help). The Microsoft package includes extensive documentation on the .hpj, and both versions of the Help Compiler include visual editors for creating and modifying the .hpj. It isn’t hard to do. There are also good third-party books on WinHelp creation, notably Boggan et al., Developing Online Help for Windows 95, a classic that covers Win3.1 too (ISBN 185032-211-2, out of print but widely available used).

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