lies, damn lies, and VI help documentation

[torekp]

So, according to this NI document

http://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361L-01/lvhowto/linking_vis_to_help_files/

It should be possible to link a .chm file into your executable so that a user can choose Help > Help for This VI.  Well, I followed the advice, and no dice.  Here is my LV2017-64bit attempt.  In the development environment, it works fine, but in the executable Help for This VI is grayed out.  The .chm file is a poor excuse, and unrelated to this VI, but never mind that, it's not the problem here.

LV17helpEx.chm

html_help_VI.vi

test_help_html.aliases

test_help_html.lvlps

test_help_html.lvproj

[Phillip Brooks]

Don't use this functionality, but the NI Doc reference has a note:
 

Quote

 

Note  If you link from VIs to HTML files or compiled help files and you use the VIs to build a stand-alone application, you must include the files as source files when you build the application.

 

Maybe the exe is expecting to find the help file in the support directory?

[torekp]

Yes it was.  However my only other option for where the .chm file goes is "same as caller", which also fails.

[Phillip Brooks]

Someone reported a similar issue on the dark side. Are you using typedefs?

https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/chm-help-file-and-executable/m-p/2703303#M802558

 

[torekp]

Ah, thank you!  I tried this guy's advice item number 7 and it worked.   A bit brute-force, but maybe that's OK.  (I'm not using typedefs.)