Re: How to build new html help on mac?

[Bastian M. <bma...@we...>]

On 27.02.2011 00:30, Mojca Miklavec wrote:
> 2011/2/26 Tatsuro MATSUOKA wrote:
>> Hello
>>
>> The example of wgnuplot.chm can be obtained in the gnuplot cvs version packages for windows.
>> http://www.tatsuromatsuoka.com/gnuplot/Eng/winbin/
>
> Thanks a lot.
>
> However there seems to be something weird. (I'm using ArCHMock to read
> the chm file. Maybe it is a problem/bug in that application, but I
> didn't have a problem opening any other chm file with the same program
> until now.)
>
> Instead of hyperlinks I get big white squares saying "Missing Plug-in"
> and then something that seems like a symlink, but clicking on it
> doesn't do anything.

The reason for this is probably that this app does not support the 
ActiveX control which is used for linking. We use so-called K-links, aka 
a real look-up in the index instead of hard links. This helps in case of 
ambiguous references (multiply defined targets).

I realize that ActiveX is Windows technology, but so is CHM and this is 
a standard control of the Windows HTML help workshop.

Btw. how widespread is ArCHMock amongst Mac users?


> I can send a screenshot if needed, but it is probably reproducible on
> any other mac. External hyperlinks are working, just the internal ones
> are broken, but maybe only on macs.

They do work as they should on the target platform, Windows.

>
> (If that bug is fixed I might start using that chm file on mac for
> gnuplot help before I manage to create native mac help ... it is much
> more useful and easy to read&  search than inline help, in particular
> when reading larger portions of help.)
>
> Just a question: is it a mac-specific thing or does it also happen on
> windows that subtopics are missing? For example "Terminal types" has
> no text at all and "complete list of terminals" doesn't list any
> terminal either. It is true that they are there in "bookmarks", but it
> would be very useful to have a list of subtopics with hyperlinks.

That is normal. There is not text or table of terminals there. See 
gnuplot.pdf or even better gnuplot.doc. If you want this is an artifact 
of the fact that we produce printed docs and online help from the same 
source. So there's still room for improvements.

>
>> Perhaps you know that the html help workshop working on windows is required to generate chm format
>> help file.
>> You can use it if you install windows in your Apple PC.
>> (Windows can be installed in the Apple PC.)
>
> Compiling gnuplot on windows is a nightmare (I managed to do it once,
> but without any library included). I have windows installed, but I
> don't want to touch it.

That is just untrue. It's plain easy for bare gnuplot. It took me 15min 
including an install of MinGW using the available Makefile. You find a 
nice explanation of the process on Tatsuro's web page.
>
> I was not interested in compiling the chm file, but in getting just
> the html before it compiles into chm. I would like to use html files
> to create help for Mac.
>
>> Another possible way, you will try to use wine for Mac OS.
>> http://wiki.winehq.org/MacOSX
>>
>> I do not know the html help workshop can be executed in the wine on MacOS.
>
> I don't need or even want wine. All I was looking for were html files.
> But now that you pointed me to a ready chm file, I'm considering using
> it as my main source for gnuplot help, even on a mac, at least until I
> figure out how to compile native osx help.
>
> Mojca
>
> PS: it is really nice to see graphical examples present in help. A
> pitty there are not more of them.

Thanks to Ethan who made the plots in the first place!


Bastian