Could i get lazarus help/Documentation like delphi help ? when i got an error , i looking for it in help

rgds,

dians

Dians wrote

Could i get lazarus help/Documentation like delphi help ? when i got an error , i looking for it in help

While I feel that the help system does work well (once you found out to get the help on components that are not in a uses clause :) ), the help itself is quite minimal regarding Delphi. Some components are documented only minimalistic ( like with all community driven project "commercial" does have a point here ). For beginners Delphi has a point as the language itself is handled in the help files. So it would be a nice thing if it would be possible to integrate the Delphi help in Lazarus for users that do have a Delphi license.

-Michael

Michael Schnell wrote

does have a point here ). For beginners Delphi has a point as the language itself is handled in the help files. So it would be a nice thing if it would be possible to integrate the Delphi help in Lazarus for users that do have a Delphi license.

I think that would kill any motivation to work on the help. Moreover, the FPC ref manual (the language description) is fine, so I don't see a reason to use the Delphi version of that part.

Marco van de Voort wrote

Moreover, the FPC ref manual (the language description) is fine, so I don't see a reason to use the Delphi version of that part.

"Online" help on syntax errors and on language keywords.

-Michael

The reference guide is also available online, so that is no reason.

Marco van de Voort wrote

The reference guide is also available online, so that is no reason.

Sorry for erroneous language. Here with "online" I meant pressing F1 when a language error occurs or a language keyword is under the cursor.

-Michael

Michael Schnell wrote

On 03/29/2011 09:16 PM, Marco van de Voort wrote: > The reference guide is also available online, so that is no reason. Sorry for erroneous language. Here with "online" I meant pressing F1 when a language error occurs or a language keyword is under the cursor.

At least the first one works if the right documentation is installed. See this mail from Graeme (including screenshot):
http://lists.lazarus.freepascal.org/pipermail/lazarus/2011-February/060170.html

Regards,
Sven

If you follow the link in the second mail after Graeme's (leading to the wiki), you'll see that the second one (language keywords) is also supported.

Regards,
Sven

saying

"This feature exists since 0.9.15 and requires the FPC sources installed locally."

So "installing the FPC sources locally" correctly might do the trick. Even though I always use the most recent FPC and Lazarus and thus I do have the FPC sources from the svn, I only vary rarely manage to get any decent help when pressing F1.

I know myself to always be too stupid to use any user-friendly features of any devices or software :-( .

-Michael

Sven Barth wrote

At least the first one works if the right documentation is installed. See this mail from Graeme (including screenshot): http://lists.lazarus.freepascal.org/pipermail/lazarus/2011-February/060170.html

And the second option works by using fpGUI's DocView and the INF help files. Integration with Lazarus IDE is dead simple via the External Tools dialog (no need to recompile the IDE). You can even integrate Kylix 3's help with Lazarus IDE. Thus giving you context sensitive OFFLINE help.

Regards,
- Graeme -

It would be GREAT if Lazarus would provide all this right out of the box to allow starters that don't have a Delphi installation running in parallel up to speed.

I have no idea about the Kylix 3 help files' license and even though I once had Kylix I forgot where I should find them, but ....

-Michael

Michael Schnell wrote

It would be GREAT if Lazarus would provide all this right out of the box

I've been saying this for years, but the Lazarus developers can't seem to make a decision on a offline help format... so we are all stuck (by default) with the crap online only wiki help.

I have no idea about the Kylix 3 help files' license and even though I once had Kylix I forgot where I should find them, but ....

Kylix Help:
===========
I placed Kylix 3 Open Edition (free version) on the following locations for download. It's a 91MB download. It includes the help files. The installation will be a problem on new distros, but you can simply unpack the .rpm files manually to get to the help files and hyperhelp viewer.

http://www.4shared.com/file/M7Lzl5kq/kylix3_openeditiontar.html

http://opensoft.homeip.net:8080/~graemeg/kylix3_openedition.tar.gz

Here are instructions for adding Kylix 3 help to Lazarus IDE.

http://wiki.freepascal.org/Installing_Help_in_the_IDE#Installing_the_Kylix_Help_in_the_Lazarus_IDE

fpGUI's Docview:
================
Attached is a screenshot of how to setup DocView with Lazarus IDE, via the External Tools dialog. INF format help and a slightly old Docview binary can be downloaded from fpGUI's SourceForge Downloads page. Both the INF help (with completed FPC Language Reference file) and binary Docview will be updated soon, with the new fpGUI release.

Regards,
- Graeme -

Graeme Geldenhuys wrote

I've been saying this for years, but the Lazarus developers can't seem to make a decision on a offline help format...

If DocView really is good, stable and open source, I don't see why its not integrated

so we are all stuck (by default) with the crap online only wiki help.

The online help _can_ be downloaded and accessed in a file (there are instructions and I once managed to get it running).

The online help of course always is up to date.

I do vote for DocView being able to work on files provided online by the distribution server :)

-Michael

Michael Schnell wrote

If DocView really is good, stable and open source, I don't see why its not integrated

Because DocView is a part of the fpGUI Toolkit project, and probably because MacOSX is not officially supported by fpGUI yet. And yes, docview is open-source, its included with fpGUI.

The online help _can_ be downloaded and accessed in a file (there are instructions and I once managed to get it running).

Yes I know about the class API help (using fpdoc), but what about the wiki (IDE + general Lazarus) help?

Regards,
- Graeme -

Hans-Peter Diettrich wrote

FPDoc Editor is fine, and it allows to update the help immediately. Even no need to press F1, to get instant help on the identifier under the caret.

You cannot compare, because FPDoc Editor is only good for editing API help (in fpdoc format). It is not meant has a help viewer. It has no support for FPC's Object Pascal language syntax help. No search function. No index function. No bookmarks function. No help annotation function. No user customization like fonts, colors etc... incidentally, all features supported by DocView.

Regards,
- Graeme -

On 03/29/2011 09:16 PM, Marco van de Voort wrote: > The reference guide is also available online, so that is no reason. Sorry for erroneous language. Here with "online" I meant pressing F1 when a language error occurs or a language keyword is under the cursor.

That's "context sensitive" help.

The context (here) is the current focus, on e.g. an error message in the messages window, the word at the caret position in source code, a menu entry...

DoDi

Michael Schnell wrote

On 03/29/2011 09:16 PM, Marco van de Voort wrote: > The reference guide is also available online, so that is no reason. Sorry for erroneous language. Here with "online" I meant pressing F1 when a language error occurs or a language keyword is under the cursor.

Same bit. You will have to craft that either way, using FPC html or Delphi html.

But for FPC, at least a mapping from keyword to url is available as byproduct of the document generation (see
http://www.stack.nl/~marcov/ref.kwd). The only thing to be done is better configurationability of the helpsystem. (so that it e.g. also works with offline help), and versioning of the online docs, so that old lazarus' versions still can find their help.

Again: there is no benefit in using the Delphi stuff in FPC. That it works in Delphi does not mean that we can actually recycle it (both licensewise and technically). Except maybe from places where the LCL is blank, but efforts can be better directed to actually fill that, rather than implement kludges.

FPDoc Editor is fine, and it allows to update the help immediately. Even no need to press F1, to get instant help on the identifier under the caret.

Nonethless it would be nice to integrate help from other sources *easily*, of course.

DoDi

Marco van de Voort wrote

Again: there is no benefit in using the Delphi stuff in FPC. That it works in Delphi does not mean that we can actually recycle it (both licensewise and technically).

This of course is true, but you often do prefer information known to be questionable above less complete one (Wikipedia anybody ? )

-Michael

I don't see any analogy there. And there is a difference between some programmer using it as backup info source and investing in IDE integration.