Rob Chandler's FAR
Updated January 17, 2007
Version 4.2 (build 660)
(change notes are here)

  Download Here (2.62M)

To register FAR, please send an Amazon gift certificate to: AmazonReg@Helpware.net In the gift comment part, please enter the following information: Your Name and address: Return Email: ** Important ** Purchase Site: HH Center Licenses: License Type Cost Per License Single License US $49 2 - 9 Licenses US $45 each 10 - 49 Licenses US $40 each 50 - 99 Licenses US $30 each 100 - 499 Licenses US $25 each 500 Licenses and up US $20 each

 

This is Rob Chandler's excellent shareware HTML Help authoring tool. Developed primarily as a means for creating HTML Help files from FrontPage webs, FAR has a large number of utilities built-in, including:

• Uncompressed Help
  • [V4] New: FAR Uncompressed help now generates pure JavaScript TOC and Index controls. No ActiveX or server side code is required. This is a must-have given Microsoft's decision to block all HTML Help ActiveX (hhctrl.ocx) controls from working on the web.
  • [V4] New: FAR now includes a pure JavaScript Search Engine. This very portable search engine can deliver fast search services to any web site on a CD, DVD, Internet, Intranet or even a USB thumb drive. In fact anywhere a JavaScript enabled browser can go. You generate the search UI using the Uncompressed Help dialog or the new "Authoring > Build JavaScript Search dialog", This new dialog is used to generate the "searchdata.js" search database file and to test the search engine. No ActiveX or server side code is required. You have complete control over what goes into the search engine data file and what the search UI layout looks like.
    • The FAR JS Search code has not been obfuscated in any way and we encourage you to make changes to it. Remember that the code is copyright and owned by Rob. Please respect it as you would any 3rd party executable.
  • [V4] New: Frame page settings "Frame Divider width", "Frame Divider Color".
  • [V4] New: Command to insert free Google search code into your search pane to provide search for your particular domain.
  • [V4] Minor change: Can now have just Index or just search. Before Contents Navigation tab was always required.
• Supports the Visual Studio Help Integration Kit.
• Find & Replace and PKZIP.
  • Drop a web site or folder onto FAR. Drop file filters exclude FrontPage special directories and other unwanted files and folders.
  • Search and Replace across all FAR list files. Search understands those unexpected line breaks and spaces found in HTML files.
  • Advanced Search options allow you find strings that are littered with other HTML elements, and replace strings without disturbing those items.
  • Zip up the files in the FAR list to a PKZIP and WinZip compatible zip file.
  • View PKZip files.
  • Copy all files in the list to a new location.
  • Create reports or batch files using the list of files.
  • Other handy file utilities - rename file, set file date/time, strip HTML tags.
  • Unicode compatible
• HTML Help 1.x
  • Help Express - Build help quickly by selecting a local web folder and clicking Create Help.
  • Help Wizard - Build complex help files in a friendly wizard environment.
  • HTML Help Project Editor - Workshop like editor fixes several bugs found in MS Workshop1.x. Unleashes several handy settings not made available by MS Workshop.
  • TOC/Index Editor -  Advanced .hhc & .hhk  file editor. Drag and drop entire branches (Move and Copy). Easy validation of item links. Quick test mode. 
  • Find and validate all links inside a CHM. This includes bookmarks and links to files in other CHMs.
  • Examine the contents of a Chm, Test Chm Context IDs, Extract and delete files from a Chm.
  • Compare two Chm files for differences.
  • Compress CHMs.
• MS Help 2.x (New)
  • Help Express - Build help quickly by selecting a local web folder and clicking Create Help.
  • Help Wizard - Build complex help files in a friendly wizard environment.
  • MS Help 2 Project Editor - Workshop like editor does not required VS.NET, and has more power and features than MS Help SDK (Workshop).
  • TOC/Index Editor -  Advanced .hxt & .hxk  file editor. Drag and drop entire branches (Move and Copy). Easy validation of item links.  Excess to all XML settings.
  • Supports ANSI, Unicode and UTF-8 file format.
  • MS Help 2 Utilities allows registration, decompilation and conversion from MS HH 1.x projects.
  • Help Viewer - View Help collections using the inbuilt help file viewer. FAR also creates a file association with .HxS files so you can view single help files directly. In this case FAR registers your help file for you.