Description:

Loads a collection (via its namespace) into DExplore. This command does not show the window. Most other calls will show the DExplore window if it is not already showing.
Use the "Collection" property to get the name of the currently loaded collection.

Params:

nsName - Namespace for the collection. eg.'ms-help://ms.vscc'
sFilter - Name of filter or empty string for no filtering.

Example:

Help.SetCollection('ms-help://ms.vscc','')
Help.SetCollection('ms-help://ms.vscc','Visual C#')

Description: [ReadOnly Property]

Collection is the Property linked to method Get_Collection. Returns the Name of the current collection loaded. To set the collection use the SetCollection() method (above).

Description:

Displays a topic in DExplore's embedded browser pane. This will make the DExplore window visible if not already visible (as will the other display type commands).

Params:

sURL - Internet Explorer compatible URL address.

Example:

Help.DisplayTopicFromURL('ms-help://MS.VSCC/MS.MSDNVS/vsintro7/html/vxoriWhatsNewInVisualStudio.htm')

Description:

Syncs the Table of Contents control to the supplied URL.

Params:

sURL - Internet Explorer compatible address.

Example:

Help.SyncContents('ms-help://MS.VSCC/MS.MSDNVS/vsintro7/html/vxoriWhatsNewInVisualStudio.htm')

Description:

Given a URL returns the next URL in the TOC control.

Params:

sURL - Internet Explorer compatible address.

Description:

Given a URL returns the previous URL in the TOC control.

Params:

sURL - Internet Explorer compatible address.

Description: ??

This probably tells you if a URL can be synced to or not (ie. Is there a corresponding URL in the current TOC). But given a valid or Invalid URL the method seems to do nothing but return with no exception.

Description:

Lookup and display first topic found defined by Keyword "sFile + ':' + inttostr(id)" from the the "F" Index of the current collection.

Params:

sFile - Keyword prefix string. 
Id - Context Help Id to lookup and display. If =0 then only the sFile part (no ':' is appended) is used in the lookup.

Example:

Help.DisplayTopicFromId("vbasic", 12345):
Simply creates a keyword string: "vbasic:12345" and passes this string to  DisplayTopicFromF1Keyword(), which does a standard Help 2.0 lookup using the "F" index of the current collection (defined with the SetCollection() method).

DisplayTopicFromId("vbasic", 0) simply passes the keyword string "vbasic".
which essentially is the same thing as calling DisplayTopicFromF1Keyword("vbasic") directly.

Description:

Does a standard Help 2.0 lookup using the "F" index of the current collection (defined with the SetCollection() method).

Params:

sKeyword - "F" Index Keyword to lookup and display.

Example:

Help.DisplayTopicFromF1Keyword("MyKeyword");

Description:

Support for older style .CHM and .HLP files.

Params:

sFile - Full path to the .CHM or .HLP file.
Id - Context HelpId to lookup and display. If sFile does contain this Context Id then no action is taken.

Description:

Does a standard Help 2.0 lookup using the "K" index of the current collection (defined with the SetCollection() method). Displays the Keyword results in the results pane. If only one result match is found then DExplore displays the topic in the VS Browser Pane. It does not show the Index Nav pane if it was hidden or closed. Use Help.SyncIndex() to show the index navigation pane and sync to the index item.

Params:

sKeyword - "K" Index Keyword to lookup and display.

Example:

Help.DisplayTopicFromF1Keyword("BOOL");

Description:

Similar to DisplayTopicFromKeyword() excepts never displays the topic in the browser pane. If the Index pane was closed then only shows if iShow = 1 (0 = don't force show). If Index Nav pane is hidden (iconised) on the side then it is moved into view.

Params:

sKeyword - "K" Index Keyword to lookup and display.

Example:

Help.DisplayTopicFromF1Keyword("BOOL");

Description:

Select the Contents navigation pane. Opens if closed.

Description:

Select the Index navigation pane.  Opens if closed.

Description:

Select the Search navigation pane.  Opens if closed.

Description:

Select the Index Results pane if visible.  Opens if closed.

Description:

Select the Search Results pane if visible.  Opens if closed.

Description: ??

Close the Web Browser window pane and all of its pages.
To get this pane back select "View > Web Browser" from the DExplore menu.

Rob Comment: What's the point of this command? A closed browser window just creates errors for the other commands.

Description:

Displays the Filter Edit Page for editing Collection Filters. Throws exception if no filters defined in the collection or if the collection does not contain VS Filter setup info.

Params:

None.

Description: [Read/Write Property]

Filter property is used to get/set the collection filter. This is the Filter name that represents a Filter Query string.

Description: [ReadOnly Property]

FilterQuery property returns the actual Query string for the current collection filter.

Description: ??

Your guess is as good as mine. I cannot make it do much at all.

Params:

None.

Description: ??

One assumes this is the same DisplayTopicFromURL() with extra param. Looks like you specify a COM event to be triggered once the Topic has been successfully loaded. DisplayTopicFromURL() probably calls this function with the second param = null (nil for Delphi);

Description: [ReadOnly Property]

Returns the IHxSession interface. Use this to run queries, get the IHxCollection interface which then allows you to get attribute info etc etc.
There is no demo provided with this property as Microsoft have not released the H2 API information to the public.

_Help.Help: IDispatch read Get_Help;

Description: [ReadOnly Property] ??

This property gives you access to Help interface (all the methods and properties above). I'm not sure why we need it as initially when the COM object is created its interface address is the same as this property. One assumes that more than one help window can be controlled?

_VSHelpObj := CreateOleObject('DExplore.AppObj');   //returns interface address value xyz
_Help := _VSHelpObj.Help;              //also has interface address value xyz

Description: ??

My guess is this is yet another way to get into H2 API interfaces.

Description: [Read/Write Property]

What does this do? One might guess that the help owner could be either VS embedded help or Help in DExplore?

1. Create a new Windows Application project.
2. In the Project menu, select Add Reference.
3. In the Add Reference dialog, select the COM tab.
4. Click the Browse button and locate vshelp.tlb.
5. Click the Component Name VsHelp and then click Select. Click OK.

View code for the form (Form1.cs).

Add a using directive for VsHelp: 
   using VsHelp; //remember to be aware of case-sensitivity. First and third characters are upper case

Create a method to display the help, for example:

   private void DispHelp(String url)
   {
       //Help interface must be fully qualified because its ambiguous otherwise
       VsHelp.Help h = new VsHelp.DExploreAppObjClass();
       h.SetCollection("ms-help://ms.vscc.2003","");
       h.DisplayTopicFromURL(url);
       h.SyncContents(url);
   }

Add a button to the form. Double-click it to view its Click event. Call the method you created earlier, for example:

   private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
   {
       DispHelp("ms-help://MS.VSCC.2003/MS.MSDNQTR.2003APR.1033/vsintro7/html/vxori WhatsNewInVisualStudio.htm");
   }

Dexplore way (see Helpware site for details):

private void displaySDKF1(string F1Keyword)
{
VsHelp.Help h = new VsHelp.DExploreAppObjClass();
h.SetCollection("ms-help://MS.VSCC.2003","");
h.DisplayTopicFromF1Keyword(F1Keyword);
}

Cons: not officially supported. Error handling tougher. Pro: probably will
continue to work between changing versions of VS.

DTE way (add reference to envdte .NET dll):

private void displayViaDTE(string F1Keyword)
{
EnvDTE.DTE dte;
dte =
(EnvDTE.DTE)System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetActiveObject("VisualSt
udio.DTE.7.1");
dte.ExecuteCommand("Help.F1Help",F1Keyword);
}

Cons: must have an instance of VS running.