Hi,
We're thinking about switching from publishing our help files in CHM format to publishing them as EWriter eBooks. I'd be grateful your opinions on this. In one of the replies to a previous posting in this forum, the CHM system is referred to as "ancient" and "allergic to all sorts of strange things" (http://helpman.it-authoring.com/viewtop ... 397#p55161). Then again, the help file for Help & Manual 7 is in CHM format and, well, EC Software should know about these things.
So, what are the pros and cons of the two formats?
Thanks!
CHM vs. EWriter eBook
Moderators: Alexander Halser, Tim Green
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Martin Wynne
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- Location: West of the Severn, UK
Re: CHM vs. EWriter eBook
Hi Swede,Swede wrote:Then again, the help file for Help & Manual 7 is in CHM format and, well, EC Software should know about these things.
So, what are the pros and cons of the two formats?
I think EWriter is great, and a vast improvement on the dreaded CHM. The biggest single advantage is being able to launch executable files, which is ideal for installed software Help, and can't be done in other formats.
The only downside is that EWriter is not dpi-aware, so can look a bit fuzzy on high-resolution tablets and 4K screens.
Alex has recently done a lot of work to make CHMs from H&M7 look better on 4K screens, which maybe why he is reluctant to abandon CHM for H&M7's own help in favour of EWriter. I would -- CHM is so awful there is no reason to prolong its agony any longer, 18 years is surely long enough. Even the previous Windows HLP system was better.
regards,
Martin.
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Alexander Halser
- EC-Software Support
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Re: CHM vs. EWriter eBook
Hello Swede,
Martin is just speculating... Fact is, that the CHM help format is still the help standard (the only standard) for Windows desktop applications. The CHM format, however, does have a couple of flaws - which H&M tries to work around as much as possible.
1) The CHM format is no longer updated by Microsoft
MSFT continues to support the HTML Help viewer as a system component, even on Windows 10, in both 32 and 64 bit flavor, but the format itself is no longer developed.
2) The CHM format does not work on network drives
This has been the case for several years: to view a CHM file, you need to open it locally, from a local drive. If you open a CHM file from a network drive, it does not display the pages. Microsoft changed this behaviour several years ago to improve the security of the CHM format. H&M itself has this problem as well, when you use a "server" license. We internally copy the official help file from the network into a temporary location and open it from there.
3) The CHM viewer and the embedded MSIE do have some issues on ultra-high resolution monitors
H&M 7 creates CHM files that do work on ultra-high resolution monitors as well. We write different HTML code for CHM files to enable this and you do not have to worry about it. For more information about this issue, I wrote a very detailed article here:
http://www.helpandmanual.com/downloads_ ... html#chm4k
4) CHM is Win32/64 only, not for apps
If your application is a Windows desktop application, CHM is a good choice. For Windows apps, H&M's "Webhelp" output is the preferred format.
Those are the basic flaws of the CHM format. But it has a lot of advantages as well. Firstly, it is a single-file help format that works on every decent Windows system and secondly it is the only help system with a programming API, so that you can invoke application online help directly from your Win32/64 program. The full-text search in CHM is fast and reliable and it works even with relatively large help projects (though it does have its limitations for extremely large projects). CHM is also the only format that supports runtime-merging of multiple help files.
The Windows EXE eBooks that H&M creates are an alternative - they are a single-file system, too. With integrated TOC/index/full-text search, but with more freedom regarding the layout. The EXE eBooks can be invoked via command line parameters, though this "API" is not nearly as sophisticated as that of CHM files. It enables context-sensitive help though.
The most flexible "help system" is certainly Webhelp, which works locally as well. Webhelp displays in the default browser. To overcome browser restrictions when displaying local HTML pages, you can use our tiny local webserver "HM2Go" and distribute it with your application (http://www.helpandmanual.com/hm2go.html). Our EXE eBooks are actually exactly that: Webhelp, packaged into a single EXE file.
I hope this clarification helps. CHM is the last "standard" Windows help format with a dedicated API supported by all Windows versions. Microsoft has clearly signaled that they will keep supporting CHM, but not develop it and there won't be any successor, no new "help standard" in future Windows versions.
Martin is just speculating... Fact is, that the CHM help format is still the help standard (the only standard) for Windows desktop applications. The CHM format, however, does have a couple of flaws - which H&M tries to work around as much as possible.
1) The CHM format is no longer updated by Microsoft
MSFT continues to support the HTML Help viewer as a system component, even on Windows 10, in both 32 and 64 bit flavor, but the format itself is no longer developed.
2) The CHM format does not work on network drives
This has been the case for several years: to view a CHM file, you need to open it locally, from a local drive. If you open a CHM file from a network drive, it does not display the pages. Microsoft changed this behaviour several years ago to improve the security of the CHM format. H&M itself has this problem as well, when you use a "server" license. We internally copy the official help file from the network into a temporary location and open it from there.
3) The CHM viewer and the embedded MSIE do have some issues on ultra-high resolution monitors
H&M 7 creates CHM files that do work on ultra-high resolution monitors as well. We write different HTML code for CHM files to enable this and you do not have to worry about it. For more information about this issue, I wrote a very detailed article here:
http://www.helpandmanual.com/downloads_ ... html#chm4k
4) CHM is Win32/64 only, not for apps
If your application is a Windows desktop application, CHM is a good choice. For Windows apps, H&M's "Webhelp" output is the preferred format.
Those are the basic flaws of the CHM format. But it has a lot of advantages as well. Firstly, it is a single-file help format that works on every decent Windows system and secondly it is the only help system with a programming API, so that you can invoke application online help directly from your Win32/64 program. The full-text search in CHM is fast and reliable and it works even with relatively large help projects (though it does have its limitations for extremely large projects). CHM is also the only format that supports runtime-merging of multiple help files.
The Windows EXE eBooks that H&M creates are an alternative - they are a single-file system, too. With integrated TOC/index/full-text search, but with more freedom regarding the layout. The EXE eBooks can be invoked via command line parameters, though this "API" is not nearly as sophisticated as that of CHM files. It enables context-sensitive help though.
The most flexible "help system" is certainly Webhelp, which works locally as well. Webhelp displays in the default browser. To overcome browser restrictions when displaying local HTML pages, you can use our tiny local webserver "HM2Go" and distribute it with your application (http://www.helpandmanual.com/hm2go.html). Our EXE eBooks are actually exactly that: Webhelp, packaged into a single EXE file.
I hope this clarification helps. CHM is the last "standard" Windows help format with a dedicated API supported by all Windows versions. Microsoft has clearly signaled that they will keep supporting CHM, but not develop it and there won't be any successor, no new "help standard" in future Windows versions.
Alexander Halser
Senior Software Architect, EC Software GmbH
Senior Software Architect, EC Software GmbH
-
Martin Wynne
- Posts: 2656
- Joined: Mon May 12, 2003 3:21 pm
- Location: West of the Severn, UK
Re: CHM vs. EWriter eBook
Hi Swede,
Another factor to bear in mind is that EWriter is an executable file (exe). This means that users who have their anti-virus program set to "Deep Scan" or whatever their av calls it, will see a significant delay in launching EWriter, as their av scans executable files every time they are launched.
regards,
Martin.
Another factor to bear in mind is that EWriter is an executable file (exe). This means that users who have their anti-virus program set to "Deep Scan" or whatever their av calls it, will see a significant delay in launching EWriter, as their av scans executable files every time they are launched.
regards,
Martin.