Compiling HTML Help - MS HTML Help Compiler Issue?

[faithwallis]

When I compile my HTML Help in Flare, everything moves through the process until the end and then the MS HTML Help Compiler provides an error message that it needs to close because it has "encountered a problem."

When I click the "Debug" link, I receive this message:
Instruction at 0x453217d8 referenced memory at 0x0a2a2000. The memory could not be "read."

I do know that Flare uses the Microsoft HTML Help Compiler to compile the HTML Help CHM file. Is this a problem with Flare, the compiler, or my files? And, if it is with the compiler, what do I do or where do I go for support of that -- the Microsoft website?

I have tried to "clean" the project (Build --> Clean Project) but even that didn't let the files compile properly. This is only happening when I compile HTML Help. Any other target seems to work...

[carolynmwallace]

I can't find the thread now, but I know this type of error has been discussed on the forum before. The answer is something like there's a limit to the length of the file names MS HTML Help Compiler can handle and if you move your project closer to the root directory it can compile without problems.

Does that ring a bell with anyone else?

I do know that I run into the same problem with one of my projects. When I copy my project folder to my C drive and compile it from there, it works without problems. (So my folder address looks like C:\Project\Project.flprj.)

[Pete Lees]

Hi, Carolyn,

I can't find the thread now, but I know this type of error has been discussed on the forum before. The answer is something like there's a limit to the length of the file names MS HTML Help Compiler can handle and if you move your project closer to the root directory it can compile without problems.

Does that ring a bell with anyone else?

Yes, I believe that there's a 256-character limit on the folder path down to your source files. See this thread:

http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... f=8&t=4877

Pete

[KevinDAmery]

And to clarify, that limit isn't just for HTML help: Windows itself doesn't handle paths longer than 256 characters correctly. (Which is one of the reasons not to use the "My Documents" folder for your projects: in my case, the path "C:\Documents and Settings\Kevin Amery\My Documents" eats up 50 characters before you even start the Flare portion of the path. Using "C:\Help_Projects" is a lot more economical....)