Using HH Index Builder
======================
14mar03


If you use the Merge feature of HTML Help to combine multiple CHM files
into a single Help system, you may want to be able to review the index
in its merged state. Depending on your authoring method, this may be 
difficult to achieve. With the HH Index Builder, you can generate a 
merged index from your HTML source files that you can review (and print)
outside of the Help system. 

This tool is a Perl script and thus requires that Perl is installed on
your computer. For Windows systems you can get Perl from ActiveState
(http://activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/). Once you have Perl 
installed on your computer, you should be able to run it by double-
clicking the PL file from Windows Explorer.

The ZIP file consists of the following files:

  HHINDEX.PL  - The Perl script.
  HHINDEX.INI - Defines one or more "index groups" which specify the
	HTML Help projects (HHP files) that are to be used to generate
	a merged index.
  HHINDEX.TXT - The documentation (this file).

The following is the basic procedure for setting things up:

1. Copy the contents of the ZIP file to a folder in your file system.
   It doesn't really matter where as long as it's convenient for you.

2. Edit (or create) the HHINDEX.INI file. You should create an index
   group for each merged Help system. An index group is defined by text
   in square brackets. Following the group name is a Description 
   parameter (optional), then an IndexFolder parameter which specifies
   the folder in which to create the merged index. After that is an
   HHPCount parameter which defines the number of HHP files that are to 
   be searched for index entries. Then one or more HHP<n> parameters,
   starting with HHP1, and continuing to the <HHPCount> value. The
   HHP<n> parameters specify each HHP file that is to be searched.

3. After setting up the HHINDEX.INI file, run the HHINDEX.PL script.
   The script reads the HHINDEX.INI file and lists the available index
   groups (unless there is just one, in which case it uses that one).
   After a couple confirmation prompts, the script reads through all 
   of the files listed in each HHP and gathers up all of the index
   entries. These entries are sorted and written to HTML files.

4. When the script is done, go to the IndexFolder location and open
   the INDEX.HTM file in your browser. 


Although this script is free to use, rather than passing it around, I 
would appreciate if new users could download it from the site. This way
I have an idea of how many people are using it and can contact those
people if there is an update. Please direct people to the following URL:

   http://www.leximation.com/downloads/hhindex/

If you run into any problems, or would like to suggest any improvements, 
please email <tools at leximation.com>

Enjoy!

...scott


*************************** DISCLAIMER ***********************************
 This tool is currently offered as "freeware." Neither Leximation, Inc., 
 nor affiliated persons, accept liability for any problems that may occur
 from the use of this tool. 
**************************************************************************