wx.html.HtmlHelpController

This help controller provides an easy way of displaying HTML help in your application (see HTML Sample, test example).

The help system is based on books (see wx.html.HtmlHelpController.AddBook ). A book is a logical section of documentation (for example “User’s Guide” or “Programmer’s Guide” or “C++ Reference” or “wxWidgets Reference”). The help controller can handle as many books as you want.

Although this class has an API compatible with other wxWidgets help controllers as documented by HelpController , it is recommended that you use the enhanced capabilities of wx.html.HtmlHelpController‘s API.

HTML uses Microsoft’s HTML Help Workshop project files (.hhp, .hhk, .hhc) as its native format. The file format is described in Help Files Format. The directory helpfiles in the HTML Sample contains sample project files.

Note that the Microsoft’s HTML Help Workshop (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=00535334-c8a6-452f-9aa0-d597d16580cc) also runs on other platforms using WINE (http://www.winehq.org/) and it can be used to create the .hpp, .hhk and .hhc files through a friendly GUI. The commercial tool HelpBlocks (http://www.helpblocks.com) can also create these files.

See also

BestHelpController, wx.html.HtmlHelpFrame, wx.html.HtmlHelpDialog, wx.html.HtmlHelpWindow, wx.html.HtmlModalHelp

Class Hierarchy

Inheritance diagram for class HtmlHelpController:

Methods Summary

__init__	Constructor.
AddBook	Adds a book (i.e.
CreateHelpDialog	This protected virtual method may be overridden so that when specifying the HF_DIALOG style, the controller uses a different dialog.
CreateHelpFrame	This protected virtual method may be overridden so that the controller uses a different frame.
Display	Displays page x.
DisplayContents	Displays help window and focuses contents panel.
DisplayIndex	Displays help window and focuses index panel.
GetDialog	Returns the current help dialog.
GetFrame	Returns the current help frame.
GetHelpWindow	Get the current help window.
KeywordSearch	Displays the help window, focuses search panel and starts searching.
ReadCustomization	Reads the controller’s setting (position of window, etc.)
SetHelpWindow	Set the help window to be managed by this controller.
SetShouldPreventAppExit	Sets whether the help frame should prevent application from exiting if it’s the only remaining top level window.
SetTempDir	Sets the path for storing temporary files - cached binary versions of index and contents files.
SetTitleFormat	Sets format of title of the frame.
UseConfig	Associates the config object with the controller.
WriteCustomization	Stores controllers setting (position of window etc.)

Properties Summary

Dialog	See GetDialog
Frame	See GetFrame
HelpWindow	See GetHelpWindow and SetHelpWindow

Class API

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class wx.html.HtmlHelpController(HelpControllerBase)

Possible constructors:

HtmlHelpController(style=HF_DEFAULT_STYLE, parentWindow=None)

HtmlHelpController(parentWindow, style=HF_DEFAULT_STYLE)

This help controller provides an easy way of displaying HTML help in your application (see HTML Sample, test example).

Methods

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__init__(self, *args, **kw)

Overloaded Implementations:

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__init__ (self, style=HF_DEFAULT_STYLE, parentWindow=None)

Constructor.

Parameters:

• style (int) – This is a combination of these flags:
  • wx.html.HF_TOOLBAR: The help window has a toolbar.
  • wx.html.HF_FLAT_TOOLBAR: The help window has a toolbar with flat buttons (aka coolbar).
  • wx.html.HF_CONTENTS: The help window has a contents panel.
  • wx.html.HF_INDEX: The help window has an index panel.
  • wx.html.HF_SEARCH: The help window has a search panel.
  • wx.html.HF_BOOKMARKS: The help window has bookmarks controls.
  • wx.html.HF_OPEN_FILES: Allows user to open arbitrary HTML document.
  • wx.html.HF_PRINT: The toolbar contains “print” button.
  • wx.html.HF_MERGE_BOOKS: The contents pane does not show book nodes. All books are merged together and appear as single book to the user.
  • wx.html.HF_ICONS_BOOK: All nodes in contents pane have a book icon. This is how Microsoft’s HTML help viewer behaves.
  • wx.html.HF_ICONS_FOLDER: Book nodes in contents pane have a book icon, book’s sections have a folder icon. This is the default.
  • wx.html.HF_ICONS_BOOK_CHAPTER: Both book nodes and nodes of top-level sections of a book (i.e. chapters) have a book icon, all other sections (sections, subsections, ...) have a folder icon.
  • wx.html.HF_EMBEDDED: Specifies that the help controller controls an embedded window of class wx.html.HtmlHelpWindow that should not be destroyed when the controller is destroyed.
  • wx.html.HF_DIALOG: Specifies that the help controller should create a dialog containing the help window.
  • wx.html.HF_FRAME: Specifies that the help controller should create a frame containing the help window. This is the default if neither wx.html.HF_DIALOG nor wx.html.HF_EMBEDDED is specified.
  • wx.html.HF_MODAL: Specifies that the help controller should create a modal dialog containing the help window (used with the wx.html.HF_DIALOG style).
  • wx.html.HF_DEFAULT_STYLE: wx.html.HF_TOOLBAR | wx.html.HF_CONTENTS | wx.html.HF_INDEX | wx.html.HF_SEARCH | wx.html.HF_BOOKMARKS | wx.html.HF_PRINT
• parentWindow (wx.Window) – This is an optional window to be used as the parent for the help window.

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__init__ (self, parentWindow, style=HF_DEFAULT_STYLE)

Parameters:

• parentWindow (wx.Window) –
• style (int) –

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AddBook(self, *args, **kw)

Overloaded Implementations:

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AddBook (self, bookFile, showWaitMsg=False)

Adds a book (i.e.

a .hhp file; an HTML Help Workshop project file) into the list of loaded books.

This must be called at least once before displaying any help. bookFile or bookUrl may be either ".hhp" file or a ZIP archive that contains an arbitrary number of ".hhp" files in its top-level directory. This ZIP archive must have ".zip" or ".htb" extension (the latter stands for “HTML book”). In other words,

AddBook("help.zip")

is possible and is the recommended way.

Parameters:

• bookFile (string) – Help book filename. It is recommended to use this prototype instead of the one taking URL, because it is less error-prone.
• showWaitMsg (bool) – If True then a decoration-less window with progress message is displayed.

Return type:

bool

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AddBook (self, bookUrl, showWaitMsg=False)

Adds a book (i.e.

a .hhp file; an HTML Help Workshop project file) into the list of loaded books.

See the other overload for additional info.

Parameters:

• bookUrl (string) – Help book URL (note that syntax of filename and URL is different on most platforms).
• showWaitMsg (bool) – If True then a decoration-less window with progress message is displayed.

Return type:

bool

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CreateHelpDialog(self, data)

This protected virtual method may be overridden so that when specifying the HF_DIALOG style, the controller uses a different dialog.

Parameters:data (wx.html.HtmlHelpData) – Return type: wx.html.HtmlHelpDialog

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CreateHelpFrame(self, data)

This protected virtual method may be overridden so that the controller uses a different frame.

Parameters:data (wx.html.HtmlHelpData) – Return type: wx.html.HtmlHelpFrame

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Display(self, *args, **kw)

Overloaded Implementations:

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Display (self, x)

Displays page x.

This is THE important function - it is used to display the help in application. You can specify the page in many ways:

• as direct filename of HTML document
• as chapter name (from contents) or as a book name
• as some word from index
• even as any word (will be searched)

Looking for the page runs in these steps:

• try to locate file named x (if x is for example “doc/howto.htm”)
• try to open starting page of book named x
• try to find x in contents (if x is for example “How To ...”)
• try to find x in index (if x is for example “How To ...”)
• switch to Search panel and start searching

Parameters:x (string) – Return type:bool

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Display (self, id)

This is an overloaded member function, provided for convenience. It differs from the above function only in what argument(s) it accepts.

Parameters:id (int) – Return type:bool

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DisplayContents(self)

Displays help window and focuses contents panel.

Return type:bool

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DisplayIndex(self)

Displays help window and focuses index panel.

Return type:bool

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GetDialog(self)

Returns the current help dialog.

(May be None.)

Return type: wx.html.HtmlHelpDialog

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GetFrame(self)

Returns the current help frame.

(May be None.)

Return type: wx.html.HtmlHelpFrame

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GetHelpWindow(self)

Get the current help window.

Return type: wx.html.HtmlHelpWindow

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KeywordSearch(self, keyword, mode=HELP_SEARCH_ALL)

Displays the help window, focuses search panel and starts searching.

Returns True if the keyword was found. Optionally it searches through the index (mode = HELP_SEARCH_INDEX ), default the content (mode = HELP_SEARCH_ALL ).

Parameters:

• keyword (string) –
• mode (HelpSearchMode) –

Return type:

bool

Note

KeywordSearch searches only pages listed in ".hhc" file(s). You should list all pages in the contents file.

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ReadCustomization(self, cfg, path="")

Reads the controller’s setting (position of window, etc.)

Parameters:

• cfg (wx.ConfigBase) –
• path (string) –

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SetHelpWindow(self, helpWindow)

Set the help window to be managed by this controller.

This makes it possible to have a help window that might not be in a wx.html.HtmlHelpFrame or dialog but is embedded in some other window in the application. Be sure to use the wx.html.HF_EMBEDDED style in this case.

Parameters:helpWindow (wx.html.HtmlHelpWindow) –

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SetShouldPreventAppExit(self, enable)

Sets whether the help frame should prevent application from exiting if it’s the only remaining top level window.

Parameters:enable (bool) – If True, the application will not quit unless the help frame is closed. Default is False, i.e. the application does exit if only the help window remains opened.

New in version 2.9.2.

See also

wx.App.SetExitOnFrameDelete

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SetTempDir(self, path)

Sets the path for storing temporary files - cached binary versions of index and contents files.

These binary forms are much faster to read. Default value is empty string (empty string means that no cached data are stored). Note that these files are not deleted when program exits.

Once created these cached files will be used in all subsequent executions of your application. If cached files become older than corresponding ".hhp" file (e.g. if you regenerate documentation) it will be refreshed.

Parameters:path (string) –

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SetTitleFormat(self, format)

Sets format of title of the frame.

Must contain exactly one “%s” (for title of displayed HTML page).

Parameters:format (string) –

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UseConfig(self, config, rootpath="")

Associates the config object with the controller.

If there is associated config object, wx.html.HtmlHelpController automatically reads and writes settings (including wx.html.HtmlWindow‘s settings) when needed. The only thing you must do is create Config object and call UseConfig .

If you do not use UseConfig , wx.html.HtmlHelpController will use the default Config object if available (for details see wx.ConfigBase.Get and wx.ConfigBase.Set ).

Parameters:

• config (wx.ConfigBase) –
• rootpath (string) –

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WriteCustomization(self, cfg, path="")

Stores controllers setting (position of window etc.)

Parameters:

• cfg (wx.ConfigBase) –
• path (string) –

Properties

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Dialog

See GetDialog

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Frame

See GetFrame

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HelpWindow

See GetHelpWindow and SetHelpWindow