HtmlHelp

HtmlHelp is a help file format developed by Microsoft. It was first introduced with Windows 98 and became the standard for creating online help systems for Windows applications for many years. HtmlHelp files are essentially collections of HTML pages, images, and other resources, compressed into a single .chm file.

The .chm file format is a compiled HTML file that can be opened and displayed by the HtmlHelp viewer, which is included with most modern versions of Windows. This viewer allows for navigation through the help content using a table of contents, an index, and search functionality. Developers could create help content using standard web development tools and then compile it into a .chm file.

Key features of HtmlHelp include the ability to embed search indexes, create a navigable table of contents, and link between different help topics. It also supports the inclusion of multimedia content. While HtmlHelp was widely adopted, its usage has declined in favor of newer web-based help systems and integrated online documentation. However, many legacy applications still rely on HtmlHelp for their documentation.