CHM File Name

The compiled help file name that will be produced once you have compiled successfully.

Default Topic

This is the first Topic that will be displayed when your CHM file is first opened. If you leave it blank then the first Topic that Fast-Help finds in Contents will be used. But if you wish to control this simply click on the [...] ellipsis button to pick your own topic.

Include Keywords from Html files

This rarely used option will tell the compiler to look for objects that have been inserted in your html pages that specify keywords. This option is only included for comprehensiveness.

Create a Binary Index

This option should be checked if you have a very large help file, as it reduces the size of your index file. This option is also needed for Merging help files together. Note that when this option is checked your Index will be automatically sorted, regardless of how it appears in Fast-Help, the compiler will decide how it is now sorted.

Full Text Search information

If you want to include the "Search" tab in your help file, which is recommended, then check this option. It will slow down your compile, so you may want to check it only when you are ready to distribute your final help file.

Exclude words in this list

When compiling Full Text Search information the compiler can exclude certain words that it finds in the file you specify here. It is a plain text file. You may include simple words such as "and", "the" etc.

Create a Binary TOC

This option is rarely used, but if checked it can reduce the load time of a very large contents.

Create MSDN .CHI file

If you are creating help files that are designed to integrate with MSDN files, then check this option and this .CHI file that it creates will enable you to integrate this specialized help file type.

Support enhanced Decompilation

If you loose the source for your help file this option can help make it easier to decompile your help file for later restore.

Don't include folders in compiled help file

This tells the compiler to ignore all relative paths and to change all links that use paths to files and images within your project. Not recommended :-)

Include Nonscroll/Header section

If this is checked then the Nonscroll region that is above your main help text area in the editor, is included in your help file. The reason this is optional is that HtmlHelp does not natively support Nonscroll regions. But Fast-Help adds this functionality by creating JavaScript in the background that enables this visually beneficial feature.

Add Browse Buttons

Fast-Help includes Left and Right navigation buttons in the Nonscroll region that make it easy for the help file users to move to the next topic within a Heading. You can select your own images for this by clicking the [<<] and [>>] buttons. Please store your images in the "Templates\Images" folder (below your installation folder) so that Fast-Help can find them when compiling.

Language

This is an important setting as it determines how the compiler stores and processes your contents, index and full text search. You can select your language using the [...] ellipsis button on the right.

Font

This font will be used in the display of the Contents, index and any dialogs that the HtmlHelp viewer loads.

Size

This supports the Font setting above.

Character Set

This also supports the Font setting above. For all western alphabets use ANSI, for Cyrillic alphabets choose either Russian or Baltic. For most other languages there is a specific character set.