How to Make Help File With C#

// set Property nodes image
for (int i = 0; i < tvHelp.Nodes[0].Nodes[2].Nodes.Count; i++)
{
tvHelp.Nodes[0].Nodes[2].Nodes[i].ImageIndex = 2;
tvHelp.Nodes[0].Nodes[2].Nodes[i].SelectedImageIndex = 2;
}

cmbHeading.SelectedIndex = 0;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
}
}

How to read help when clicking any item? The following procedure can do the job:

private void DisplayHelp(string strName)
{
XmlNode xNode;
string strHelp;
// if user click any title
xNode = XmlDoc.SelectSingleNode("//*[title='" + strName + "']");
strHelp = xNode.InnerText;
txtHelp.Text = strHelp;
}

We need three events to display the help when the tvHelp node is clicked, when btnDisplay is clicked or when any item of the cmbHeading ComboBox is clicked.

Please read the code of tvHelp_AfterSelect (), btnDisplay_Click() and cmbHeading_MouseDoubleClick () in my project.

If you don't like the code of frmHelp1 form and MyHelp1.xml file, you can use the following code of frmHelp2 form and MyHelp2.xml file

Code for frmHelp2:

We shall read nodes name from the MyHelp2.xml file to set it to tvHelp TreeView control, we do this by two procedures LoadHeading() and
AddNextNodes():

private void LoadHeading()
{
// Add first node (the Root)
tvHelp.Nodes.Add(new TreeNode(XmlDoc.DocumentElement.Name));
TreeNode tNode = new TreeNode();
tNode = (TreeNode)tvHelp.Nodes[0];
// Add next nodes
AddNextNodes(XmlDoc.DocumentElement, tNode);
}

private void AddNextNodes(XmlNode xmlNode, TreeNode treeNode)
{
XmlNode xNode;
TreeNode tNode;
XmlNodeList nodeList;

if (xmlNode.HasChildNodes) //The current node has children
{
nodeList = xmlNode.ChildNodes;
// Set all child nodes
for (int i = 0; i <= nodeList.Count - 1; i++)
{
xNode = xmlNode.ChildNodes[i];
// Get the name of node (we want set the head of help item)
if (xNode.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element)
{
// Add child nodes to TreeView
treeNode.Nodes.Add(new TreeNode(xNode.Name));
// Add node name to ComboBox
cmbHeading.Items.Add(xNode.Name);

cmbHeading.SelectedIndex = 0;
tNode = treeNode.Nodes[i];
// Add next child nodes if any
AddNextNodes(xNode, tNode);
// Set image to the node
string strName = xNode.Name;
switch (strName)
{
case "ApplicationHelp": // Heading
tNode.ImageIndex = 0;
tNode.SelectedImageIndex = 1;
break;
case "Methods": // Heading
tNode.ImageIndex = 0;
tNode.SelectedImageIndex = 1;
break;
case "Properties": // Heading
tNode.ImageIndex = 0;
tNode.SelectedImageIndex = 1;
break;
default: // other nodes (Pages)
tNode.ImageIndex = 2;
tNode.SelectedImageIndex = 2;
break;
}
}
}
}
// We shall Remove Introduction, Methods, Properties from ComboBox:
// We do not want to display the (Introduction) in Index
cmbHeading.Items.Remove("Introduction");
// (Methods) hasn't any help
cmbHeading.Items.Remove("Methods");
// (Properties) hasn't any help
cmbHeading.Items.Remove("Properties");
}

The Following procedure can read help:

private void ReadHelp(string strNode)
{
XmlTextReader textReader = null;
string s = "";
try

{
textReader = new XmlTextReader(MyHelpFile);
while (textReader.Read())
{
if (textReader.Name == strNode)
{
s = textReader.ReadString();
txtHelp.Text = s;
}

}
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
}
finally
{
if (textReader.EOF)
textReader.Close();
}
}

Remarks:

When extract the files EasyHelp_ C#.zip you can find:

C# (2008) project with three forms.

The folder (MyActiveX) includes KGrid.ocx ActiveX control.

The folder (DataFiles) includes MyMarket.mdb, MyHelp1.xml and MyHelp2.xml.

The folder (Icons) includes three icons.

I hope this article is useful. If you have any idea, please tell me.