Creating a Batch File

You can also create a batch file to build all the Help files in the project. Using a batch file is optional, but it simplifies the build process. The following example shows what a simple batch file for this Help project might look like:

@echo off
echo delete files from last build
del *.hlp
del *.ph
del *.bug
del hlperr.all

echo building CONTROL PANEL
hc cpcd.hpj
copy control.bug \hyper\error
copy cpcd.hlp \hyper\archive

echo building FILE MANAGER
hc fmcd.hpj
copy winfile.bug \hyper\error
copy fmcd.hlp \hyper\archive

echo building PROGRAM MANAGER
hc pmcd.hpj
copy progman.bug \hyper\error
copy pmcd.hlp \hyper\archive

echo Building composite error file
copy *.bug hlperr.all

The batch file begins by deleting all the files produced during the previous build. This step is optional, but it ensures that the project directory is cleaned up before each build. The next three sections build each individual Help file and place a copy of the resulting error file in the \ERROR subdirectory and a copy of the built Help file in the \ARCHIVE subdirectory. The final section of the batch file creates a single error file from the three individual error files so that all the error messages from the build can be viewed or printed more easily.

Depending on the Help system, you may want to create a master Contents topic that accesses topics in each of the separate Help files. Or you may simply want to create interfile jumps that allow users to move through the information in each of the files. How you interconnect the Help files in a multi-file Help system is up to you.