IDE Tool: Display MS PlatformSDK help for API commands

[freak]

Hi all,

I really don't like that Win32.hlp file, that the IDE uses to display the WinAPI
help. It is too old and uncomplete to be of real use.
So i went searching for a solution to plug the MS PlatformSDK documentation
into my development environment, and here's whyt i came up with:

A small tool (for IDE tools menu) that displays the PSDK help for the keyword
under the cursor just like with Win32.hlp. (only with a different shortcut: the
one you assign to the tool)

get it at my site:
http://freak.purearea.net/tools/

read the description on the top of the file for more info.

It works fine here, if you have any problems, let me know.

Timo

[PB]

> A small tool (for IDE tools menu) that displays the PSDK help for the
> keyword under the cursor just like with Win32.hlp

Download size (for the Core PSDK file): 179.4 MB -- d'oh!
I assume it's really worth the download time (7 hours) ?

[El_Choni]

I would really enjoy this addon, but I get a general protection error in:

Code: Select all

SendMessage_(RichEdit, #EM_GETLINE, Line, *Buffer)

Even if I use OnError handling, I get the same result. Using Win98 SE. I've checked the handle, it's correct, *Buffer size is correct, too (enough space), so I don't know where the problem could be.

[GPI]

i Think, that the problem is, that this line request, that a other process (IDE-Process, DLL-RichEdit) should write into your Process. And this is forbitten.

[freak]

GPI:
> i Think, that the problem is, that this line request, that a other process
> (IDE-Process, DLL-RichEdit) should write into your Process. And this is
> forbitten.

I know that, but it worked fine here, so i used it.

El_Choni:
Windows 98 doesn't seem to like to copy the text across the processes, like
Windows 2000 here does, so i came up with a different solution.

The zip file on my site now contains a _w98 file, that works different.
You have to add "%TEMPFILE" (including the " 's) as Command line parameter
to the tools optione. If the tool gets the temp filename as commandline,
it will use that to get the text, and not the #EM_GETLINE method.

Please test it, and tell me if it works.

btw: I originally wrote this to be directly compiled with the IDE. If
Fred is ok with that, i will at it directly for the next release, so no such
tricks are needed anymore. (also, it can be used with F1 then)

Timo

[blueznl]

freak, nice idea, but make the path configurable, not everybody has the stuff installed in the same place

[freak]

what path??

If you mean the registry path, i think that should be the same everywhere.
If it is different for your system, please tell me what it is.
I want to make it work on all systems.

Timo

[blueznl]

euh, to the sdk? or am i lost now?

[freak]

there is no path to the sdk.

the sdk uses it's own *protocol* type of thing:
ms-help:// and so on...

This is the MSHelp 2.0 format. The tool reads the base string for that
from the registry, but there is no physical path to the files needed.
dexplore.exe will handle that.

Timo

[El_Choni]

I can't test it until Monday, sorry. Maybe there's someone else with Windows 98 and PSDK who can test it?

[GPI]

The remote-controll of the sdk works (only the index-tab is complet empty). I haven't test the plugin, but i change and include the code in jaPBe, and there it works.

When freak/fred or somebody else add this code directly in the ide, it will work on win98se. But please make this optional. On my system the SDK don't load fast, win32.hlp and msdn are much faster.

[El_Choni]

On my system the SDK don't load fast

Same here, but even then, I prefer the PSDK to the Win32.hlp file. Once it's opened for first time, it shows the help quite fast.

[El_Choni]

@freak: the tool works fine now, thanks a lot for it.

[NoahPhense]

Hey Timo,

Hmm, I have the whole SDK sitting right here waiting to be installed. But I'm not sure I want it in.. what are the benefits (besides api).. does it function like MSDN Library?

like such:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/defau ... istbox.asp


If I was looking at this code.

Code: Select all

ListViewGadget(1, 10,10,280,280,#LBS_SORT | #LBS_NOINTEGRALHEIGHT | #LBS_HASSTRINGS)

..and I wanted to know the LBS_SORT information.

Does the SDK install that kind of information?

- np

[El_Choni]

You won't regret installing it, unless you have little HD room left. Apart from the huge help docs, it includes some tiny but useful tools and all the C headers you may need:

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