New SDK version....

[Anonymous]

This is half in jest...

Microsoft has released SP1 for the Platform SDK (May 2, 2005).  The whole thing can be downloaded as a CD image, the indexing finally makes sense and overall it's a lot better organized.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=D8EECD75-1FC4-49E5-BC66-9DA2B03D9B92&displaylang=en

Only thing is, now the IDE won't search it...

Yeah!  ....   Boo!  :lol:

[Pelle]

As clearly stated in the help file, the SDK uses an undocumented help engine. Any attempt to use it, must result in undocumented calls. If it's working, great, otherwise - tough luck. This is not a "bug".

Pelle

[Anonymous]

As clearly stated in the help file, the SDK uses an undocumented help engine. Any attempt to use it, must result in undocumented calls. If it's working, great, otherwise - tough luck. This is not a "bug".

Pelle

Which is why I said it was in jest.  

What they appeared to do was change the way it's called up ...

"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\help\dexplore.exe" /helpcol ms-help://MS.PSDKSVR2003SP1.1033

Notice the new version specifies SP1 in the command line.  

But, I understand why you wouldn't want to version chase the thing.  It would eventually become a real pain having to detect versions in an undocumented setup.  (And, fwiw, yours is the only IDE I've seen that can even load the thing... so it's hardly expected behaviour)

There's no harm done, I have the win98 SDK which I still prefer for general help anyway...  Keeps me from getting carried away with the XP only stuff that leaves older versions (including my own) out in the cold.  I can still get at the PSDK with a desktop Icon... so at worst it's a minor inconvenience.

[Pelle]

To me a post in "bug reports" means a real bug, or a possible real bug, that should be fixed. This didn't really qualify as such.

When they allow me to order the damn thing on CD, I will try and get it. Then we will see. If only the collection string differs, maybe I can add a setting somewhere - at least in the Registry.

Pelle

[Anonymous]

To me a post in "bug reports" means a real bug, or a possible real bug, that should be fixed. This didn't really qualify as such.

Well it is a bug, sort of... helpfile induced failure :lol:  

When they allow me to order the damn thing on CD, I will try and get it. Then we will see. If only the collection string differs, maybe I can add a setting somewhere - at least in the Registry.

Actually you can now download the CD image directly from the website.  It burns and works perfectly with Nero.  The link I posted will take you directly to it.  If push comes to shove, I'll be happy to  make you one and mail it to you!

Far as I can tell, the collection name is the  only real difference in launching the thing.

[Pelle]

It's a bug when it's not working as intended - since it's based on undocumented interfaces, the intent can never be that it should work all the time.

If I were interested, I could download the SDK - but I'm not. As I said, I might order the CD later.

Pelle

[tiwag]

...
What they appeared to do was change the way it's called up ...

"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\help\dexplore.exe" /helpcol ms-help://MS.PSDKSVR2003SP1.1033

Notice the new version specifies SP1 in the command line.  

But, I understand why you wouldn't want to version chase the thing.  It would eventually become a real pain having to detect versions in an undocumented setup.  (And, fwiw, yours is the only IDE I've seen that can even load the thing... so it's hardly expected behaviour)

...

@Pelle
i also suffer from these fixed string used to call the help file,
because i've installed the MSDN Library version, which is called
by the string "ms-help://MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1031"

would it be possible and not too much expense to implement
a variable for this text ?
at least stored in the registry where one can change it accordingly to the local install circumstances.

thanks, tiwag

[Anonymous]

i also suffer from these fixed string used to call the help file, because i've installed the MSDN Library version, which is called
by the string "ms-help://MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1031"

would it be possible and not too much expense to implement
a variable for this text ?
at least stored in the registry where one can change it accordingly to the local install circumstances.
thanks, tiwag

Actually if you look in the registry at

HKLM\software\microsoft\MSDN\<version>\help
or
HKCU\software\microsoft\msdn\<version>\help

You will find the callup command stored there.

Perhaps Pelle could have POIDE look there, on startup, to locate the correct version and filenames

[tiwag]

Perhaps Pelle could have POIDE look there, on startup, to locate the correct version and filenames

Perhaps this isn't worth the expense.
A registry entry is absolutely sufficient,
if there exists a special help-prefix-string in the registry,
then POIDE uses this otherwise it behaves like it's implemented
till now with a standard prefix string.
This is simple, doesn't need much work to implement and every user
which isn't satisfied with the standard behaviour is able to customize it
for his needs, even when one has installed several PSDK's in parallel.

--tiwag

[Pelle]

I will look at this later and decide what to do about it. Right now is not a good time.

Pelle

[xanatose]

This program can browse the help colection instead.

http://helpware.net/mshelp2/h2viewer.htm

If you run it with the following command line:

H2Viewer.exe /appid pellesc /helpcol "ms-help://MS.PSDKSVR2003SP1.1033" /index "keyword"

Where "keyword" is the keyword you want to look up. It will search the index for the keyword and display its topic, if found. (Just like Visual Studio)

The options are:

/appid = Sets application id. This is use to use only one instance of the application.

/helpcol = Help URL

/index = Search for index.

There are other options

I don't yet know how to make a plugin for PellesC that does this, but I tough this could be useful for someone that knows how to.

[Greg]

I use H2Viewer too, it's a very good program, I actually prefer it to the Microsoft Document Explorer. I set it up in the 'Tools' menu in the Pelle's C IDE to view the Platform SDK docs or MSDN. Works very well. You can't beat the price either (free).

[Anonymous]

This program can browse the help colection instead.
http://helpware.net/mshelp2/h2viewer.htm

Nice proggy.  Thanks!