Re: [lmi] help implementation

[Vaclav Slavik]

Greg Chicares wrote:
> If we could do all of this in XRC, that would be tempting; but
> AIUI XRC doesn't meet the needs that Technique B fills, right?

Right. 

> Then are Techniques A and B complementary, or do they interfere
> with each other somehow--so that if we use Technique B at all,
> then we must implement context help for dialog controls in html
> instead of in XRC?

No, these two things are completely unrelated. Or, to be exact, they 
are unrelated unless you choose otherwise: you can choose to not use 
real help text in <help> and instead put a symbolic name for the help 
string there:

   <help>helpTopicID1</help>

Then, if you use wxHelpControllerHelpProvider instead of 
wxSimpleHelpProvider and if your help format of choice supports this 
feature, you can include (popup) help text for this control in help 
file and associate it with "helpTopicID1". This is how WinHelp worked 
and it's possible in CHM, but not with other help controller 
implementations. Personally, I prefer to keep help text with the 
control and avoid the extra level of indirection.

> If I understand correctly, there is no 
> conflict: we can add <help> elements to XRC files today, and
> later add top-level html help. We might have to change
>   wxHelpProvider::Set(new wxSimpleHelpProvider);
> to use wxHelpControllerHelpProvider, but that would still work
> with Technique A, right?

Yes (and it's not even necessary to use any other provider than 
wxSimpleHelpProvider).

Regards,
Vaclav

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