hhc

hhc is a file extension and shorthand used in the Microsoft HTML Help Workshop ecosystem to refer to the HTML Help Contents file. In this context, hhc is part of the set of components used to build Windows help files in the CHM format. The HTML Help Workshop tools include a compiler (hhc.exe) and a set of associated file types such as the project file (.hhp), the contents file (.hhc), and the index file (.hhk). Together, these files form the structure and content of a compiled HTML Help file.

The .hhc file defines the table of contents for a CHM document. It describes a hierarchical tree of topics, where each entry points to an HTML page or another topic. The resulting navigation pane in the CHM viewer presents this structure to users, allowing them to expand sections and open linked topics. The contents file typically works in concert with the .hhp project and the .hhk index file, which arrange the overall help system and search behavior.

Technical notes: The contents file is used by the HTML Help Compiler (hhc.exe) to generate the CHM file. It is written in a markup format that references HTML pages and specifies the topic hierarchy. The HTML Help system is Windows-specific and remains a legacy but still in use in many software projects.

In summary, hhc most often refers to the HTML Help Contents file (.hhc) within the HTML Help Workshop framework, and to the compiler program hhc.exe that processes this file to produce a CHM help file.