Where to place the .chm file for a VI's documentation?

[mq17]

Hi,

I developed some VIs which I want to share with a coworker. I printed out the VIs' documentation to HTML (BTW: the Print LLB to HTML.vi from examples does a better job on this than the built-in function) and compiled them to a .chm file with the HTML Help Workshop. I set the help path in the VIs documentation to the .chm file. Now when I hover over the VI in the project explorer I see the "detailed help" link in the context help window.

The problem: LV creates an absolute path to the help file. So when I transfer the .lvlib and the help file to another path or to another computer, the project explorer no longer finds the path to the help file and the "detailed help" link is not shown. I tried several kinds of relative paths without success. I tried the symbolic path <topvi> but while in project explorer there seems to be no <topvi>.

What is the recommended method for placing the VI documentation help file or for declaring the path. I read somewhere that NI recommends <helplib> which is the path to the NI help directory. I doubt that a normal user can place a help file in there.

Regards

Matthias

[muks]

see this

[mq17]

Thanks,

but I don't want to call a help file programatically. Instead I wish to see my VI's context help with the "detailed help" link.

[Suse]

Hi Matthias,

I'm sorry but you can't approach the "VI context help" programmatically!

Best regards
Suse

[TCPlomp]

For a VI you can give the name of the CHM file and the tag in the VI properties (under description).

Now if you place the CHM file in the LabVIEW\Help folder you should get the correct page after clicking 'Detailed help'.

Ton

[mq17]

Hi Suse,

I did not ask for that. I just want to see the "detailed help" link of the context help when the mouse pointer is over the VI in the Project Explorer or over the VI's symbol on a diagram.

[mq17]

Hi Ton,

that is what I mentioned in my original post. The correct symbolic path is <helpdir>. It seems to be no problem to put a file in there since the LabVIEW directory grants full access to every authenticated user.

What I looked for was a solution where the CHM file can be in the same directory path like the corresponding VIs.

Matthias

[Suse]

Hi Matthias,

now I know what you wanna do!

You can add your *.chm file to your VI's path! In the "VI properties" and the "documentation" pull down menu you can add the path of the chm-file in the help path field! Now the chm-file is opened when you pass your cursor over the VI-symbol and klick "detailed help" in the "context help"!

I hope this helps!

Best regards

Suse

[mq17]

Hi Suse,

yes I know that I can add the path of the chm-file. But LV does make an absolute path of it. So wenn I give this VI  and the CHM to someone else and he or she doesn't install it in exactly the same path, LV doesn't find the "detailed help".

Regards

Matthias

[Suse]

Hi Matthias,

you can save the CHM-files in the same path as your VI! So you can set the help path programmatically (relative path: "Current VI's Path") with a property node! See the picture I added below! I think this should help you! I also added the VI (one time in LabVIEW 2009 and also in LabVIEW version 8.6).

Best regards

Suse