HM2Go Silent mode

Nothing is perfect! This is where you can post your ideas and wishes for functions you'd like to see in Help & Manual. Current version only please (H&M7).

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Ekkehart
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Location: Neuruppin, Germany

HM2Go Silent mode

Unread post by Ekkehart »

Hi,

HM2Go is great, but it would be nice to have a switch like "Silent mode" to avoid HM2Go from showing it's icon in the system tray. This mode could be used internally for application calls to start the webhelp. It is not intended to be used while developing the documentation using the Help & Manuel software.

The user of an application may be confused, if an unknown tray icon appears when the application's webhelp has been started from within the apllication. And when the user right-clicks the icon, there is an "About Help & Manual 2 Go" function, showing the title "RTC WebServer". All these terms are unknown for the standard user and a "Webserver" seems to communicate with the Internet.

Ekkehart v. Renesse
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Tim Green
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Re: HM2Go Silent mode

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Ekkehard,

I'll bring it up with the developers, but hiding the system tray icon can be a tricky question, because when you use HM2Go you are really starting a local web server, even though it's a tiny one. Some users would be happy not to know about it, but some might be upset if they discovered it was running and that it was being "hidden". And quite a few users look at the processes list in the Task Manager and start worrying about Trojans if they see a strange processes that they can't identify. Sigh... :?
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Ekkehart
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 8:19 am
Location: Neuruppin, Germany

Re: HM2Go Silent mode

Unread post by Ekkehart »

Hi Tim,

yes, there are pros and contras. Another possibility to not confuse the users is to set the own application name to the menu of the tray icon, "About" function; may be that's the best way. The original developer can be mentioned in the About window. But this way needs a switch too or e. g. an ini file. I trust your developers realising a perfect solution.

Ekkehart v. Renesse
Horst_Reichert_PN
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Re: HM2Go Silent mode

Unread post by Horst_Reichert_PN »

Hi Tim,
I would like to bring your attention again to this topic. I woluld like to have the toolbox item hidden or to be able to disable the "Exit" option.
I have the problem that a user might close the web-server by playing arround and i cannot catch this behaviour. Thus calling help afterwards would fail.

Regards Horst
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Tim Green
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Re: HM2Go Silent mode

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Horst,
Horst_Reichert_PN wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 1:08 pm I would like to bring your attention again to this topic. I woluld like to have the toolbox item hidden or to be able to disable the "Exit" option.
I have the problem that a user might close the web-server by playing arround and i cannot catch this behaviour. Thus calling help afterwards would fail.
This is all very old stuff. There shouldn't really be any need to use HM2Go at all any more in almost all scenarios. If you are using it you're on Windows, and then you can use eWriter for local WebHelp instead of local WebHelp with HM2Go. The eWriter format is WebHelp in a single file, with all the same layout and capabilities. The viewer is now a stand-alone program available either as a simple 32-bit or 64-bit executable that you can install with your application, or as a Windows Store app that gets installed automatically when a Windows 10 user opens an .ewriter file.

You can get started here for information on eWriter:

https://www.helpandmanual.com/help/hm_w ... riter.html
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Horst_Reichert_PN
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Re: HM2Go Silent mode

Unread post by Horst_Reichert_PN »

Sorry,
I did not mention anything about .ewriter....
I was referring to the silent mode of HM2GO.
HM2GO is definetely needed to show Web-Help for all browsers except Edge and InternetExplorer to show the highlighting in the navigation etc. correctly.
For the new Edge with Chrome-Engine I am not shure because I currently do not have access.
I now work arround the problem of user closes HM2GO by searching the Windows Processes for "HM2GO.EXE(32 bit)" and re-creating the process if not found.

regards Horst
Horst_Reichert_PN
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Re: HM2Go Silent mode

Unread post by Horst_Reichert_PN »

OK,
I see, I have loaded the ewriter wiewer from the store. To understand you correctly, this app is an app by ec-software?
Because it shows an About Help&Manual in the application menu.

regards Horst
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Tim Green
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Re: HM2Go Silent mode

Unread post by Tim Green »

Horst_Reichert_PN wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 2:47 pmI see, I have loaded the ewriter wiewer from the store. To understand you correctly, this app is an app by ec-software? Because it shows an About Help&Manual in the application menu.
Yes, this is from EC Software, of course. However, you don't need to download it. That is really just for users to whom you distribute .ewriter files on their own, without any software. As a developer you would install the regular Windows desktop version along with your software. See the full details on deploying eWriter files in this topic of the documentation:

https://www.helpandmanual.com/help/hm_p ... _help.html

And also this chapter on using eWriter generally:

https://www.helpandmanual.com/help/hm_w ... s_exe.html
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Horst_Reichert_PN
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Re: HM2Go Silent mode

Unread post by Horst_Reichert_PN »

I see,
great! Just a short additional question. On my system which is set to german language a help project set to enlish language shows a german "Kurztitel". Will this display correctly on an enhlish system or do I need to alter the text of the items in the settings.

regards Horst
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Tim Green
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Re: HM2Go Silent mode

Unread post by Tim Green »

Horst_Reichert_PN wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:05 pm Will this display correctly on an enhlish system or do I need to alter the text of the items in the settings.
You need to edit the menu system, which you can do in your project in Configuration > Publishing Options > eBooks > eWriter: Menus and Translation. See this topic for assistance:

https://www.helpandmanual.com/help/hm_w ... menus.html
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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