Is it possible to "deconstruct" a compiled CHM in Flare?

This forum is for all Flare issues related to the Microsoft HTML Help target.
This target produces "CHM" files in the output.
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ChoccieMuffin
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Is it possible to "deconstruct" a compiled CHM in Flare?

Post by ChoccieMuffin »

The question arises because we have a self-documenting API for which I need to produce a manual (in the company style). We have been able to use Sandcastle to create a CHM but I don't think it provides the HTML files that I would need to add to my project, so I thought I'd try deconstructing it, somehow, and working like that.

We're going to be required to regenerate this document in the future so I don't want to have a million and one steps to work with, so if it's possible to do it simply that would be ideal.

If not, I'm going to have to mess about with an XML file the API produces, but I'm not a dev or a coder so that's a route I'd rather not take.

UNLESS, of course, you clever lot have an idiot-proof method you can recommend.

Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions.
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NorthEast
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Re: Is it possible to "deconstruct" a compiled CHM in Flare?

Post by NorthEast »

Have you tried creating a project from the CHM in Flare?
File > New Project > HTML Help File CHM

That'll produce a Flare project from the CHM.

If you want to integrate that into your main project, then set up a Flare project import to bring in the files.
Then if the CHM is updated, create a project from the CHM again, overwrite the old version, then run a re-import in your main project.
ChoccieMuffin
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Re: Is it possible to "deconstruct" a compiled CHM in Flare?

Post by ChoccieMuffin »

Thanks Dave, that's what I managed to find after I'd posted.

Having all sorts of fun and games trying to make sense of what it kicks out though - think I'm going to have to modify the stylesheet considerably so that what I get out of it looks like the rest of our stuff. For example, I very rarely, if ever, use DIVs in my other projects but these html files are completely riddled with them. What I'd have as a dropdown bit, with dropdownheader and dropdown body are inside two different DIVs called div.collapsibleAreaRegion and div.collapsibleSection, with a h4 inside the second section. And what I'd call a h2 in this lot is inside table.titleTable! So I'm either going to have to modify that stylesheet significantly, or do some industrial search-and-replace (using FAR, probably) to get rid of the bits and pieces I don't want...

Ho hum, should keep me out of mischief for a minute or two!

Any useful suggestions from anyone out there who has to document APIs would be gratefully received. I predict this is going to be rather painful.
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NorthEast
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Re: Is it possible to "deconstruct" a compiled CHM in Flare?

Post by NorthEast »

Actually, thinking about it more - do you actually need the Sandcastle CHM content imported in Flare?

Just if you don't mind your output being a CHM, you can simply merge the Sandcastle CHM in your project.
It's a 2 minute job, just copy the CHM in your project and drop it in the TOC. The Sandcastle CHM content will remain intact and embedded in your TOC.
webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare11/Content/TOCs/More_About_Tables_of_Contents/Merging_output_from_HTML_Help_projects.htm
ChoccieMuffin
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Re: Is it possible to "deconstruct" a compiled CHM in Flare?

Post by ChoccieMuffin »

I want to make the output from the API look like the rest of our documentation set, which is why I wanted to get at something I can play with.

I've got it in there, but the way the html topics are put together is quite different from how we do our stuff, so I'm tweaking the stylesheet it uses to make it look a bit more like what we're after. There are loads of scripts in there though, which I'm finding rather confusing as I don't think we need them but I'm a bit nervous getting rid of them in case I break it. It's times like these that I realise just how little I know.

Thanks for your help, gratefully received. :)
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Re: Is it possible to "deconstruct" a compiled CHM in Flare?

Post by NorthEast »

If it were me, I'd do any CSS styling in Sandcastle, then I'd merge the CHM by adding it to the TOC in Flare.

I think my first suggestion would be a lot more hassle - i.e. importing the CHM and then trying to sort out the aftermath in Flare.
ChoccieMuffin
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Re: Is it possible to "deconstruct" a compiled CHM in Flare?

Post by ChoccieMuffin »

Hmm... Think I need a crash course in Sandcastle then! :-D

Cheers, Dave, much appreciated.
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NorthEast
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Re: Is it possible to "deconstruct" a compiled CHM in Flare?

Post by NorthEast »

ChoccieMuffin wrote:Hmm... Think I need a crash course in Sandcastle then! :-D
Sandcastle is not easy - but you can get some CSS in there and try to get it looking close to what you want.
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