Using F1 Help (CHM format) With WPF

Question

I've been working on a WPF application for a while, and the time has come to attach the CHM format help document to it.

But alas! HelpProvider, the standard way to show CHM files in Winforms, has magically vanished and has no counterpart in WPF. I've been trying to use WindowsFormsHost to spawn a new control so I can actually display the help, but essentially it just grabs control of the entire UI.

A little more detail: I've got a menu item that I want to, when clicked, open up the CHM file.

First I set up the WindowsFormsHost...

host = new System.Windows.Forms.Integration.WindowsFormsHost(); helpForm = new System.Windows.Forms.Control(); host.Child = helpForm; host.Visibility = System.Windows.Visibility.Hidden; this.grid1.Children.Add(host); hp = new System.Windows.Forms.HelpProvider(); hp.HelpNamespace = "Somehelpfile.chm"; hp.SetHelpNavigator(helpForm, System.Windows.Forms.HelpNavigator.TableOfContents);

And then I say, voila, reveal yourself.

private void Help_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) { host.Visibility = Visibility.Visible; helpForm.Show(); hp.SetShowHelp(helpForm, true); }

I'm not really sure of where to proceed from here. When I show the helpForm, it obscures / overrides the existing UI and all I get is a gray, empty WPF window with no help file.

Any takers?

Does this answer your question? Integrating help in a WPF application — StayOnTarget
– StayOnTarget, Commented Apr 24, 2020 at 15:05

Cameron MacFarland · Accepted Answer · 2009-08-31 02:20:57Z

28

If you include System.Windows.Forms.dll you can also do:

System.Windows.Forms.Help.ShowHelp(null, @"help.chm");

Also, there's an article here about adding a context sensitive help system to WPF.

answered Aug 31, 2009 at 2:20

Cameron MacFarland

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3 Comments

ford Over a year ago

I was looking for a way to open a help file in WPF, no need for context sensitivity. This precisely solves my problem.

Ed Bayiates Over a year ago

@Cameron, you can also call up help to open on a context with this method, e.g.: System.Windows.Forms.Help.ShowHelp(null, "myHelp.chm", System.Windows.Forms.HelpNavigator.KeywordIndex, "MyKeyword");

The King Over a year ago

Where should i add this line: System.Windows.Forms.Help.ShowHelp(null, @"help.chm");

Scott Arrington · Accepted Answer · 2009-05-29 21:06:25Z

24

Call me crazy, but couldn't you just do:

System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(@"C:\path-to-chm-file.chm");

answered May 29, 2009 at 21:06

Scott Arrington

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3 Comments

gbjbaanb Over a year ago

I suppose the subject is for F1 help - ie context sensitive - but your solution just opens the help file

Michael Over a year ago

@ScottAnderson I think gbjbaanb gave a pretty good reason as to why the downvote wasn't "random."

Alexandru Dicu Over a year ago

The problem with this approach is that if you press multiple times F1 it will open the help file multiple times instead of focusing the first instance.

Aran Mulholland · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-09 00:23:02Z

I am trying out Easy Help with WPF, which also addresses context sensitive help based on key words. So far it seems good. All I need to do is get cracking and write some decent help!

Dzmitry Lahoda · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-04 12:00:32Z

You can use http://www.pinvoke.net/default.aspx/hhctrl.HtmlHelp to open chm help at specified topic and to have more control of how chm window shown.

jitter · Accepted Answer · 2009-06-18 20:24:36Z

0

How about using the Help class instead of opening the file externally

answered Jun 18, 2009 at 20:24

jitter

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2 Comments

SpeziFish Over a year ago

Because this is only for winforms and vanished in wpf, like already mentioned in the question --> -1

Andrei Orlov Over a year ago

So, correct me if I'm wrong, but you are able to use any WinForm component from WPF code.

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