Update the IDE help system to use the opendylan.org web site

build/packages/win32-nsis/build-installer.bat

@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 @echo off
 
-if exist "opendylan.chm" goto sources
-echo opendylan.chm not found
-goto end
-
 :SOURCES
 if exist "%OPEN_DYLAN_RELEASE_SOURCES%" goto license
 echo "cannot find release sources"

build/packages/win32-nsis/opendylan.nsi

@@ -169,17 +169,6 @@ Section "${APPNAME} Core" SecOpendylanCore
   WriteUninstaller "uninstall.exe"
 SectionEnd
 
-Section "Install Documentation" SecDoc
-  SectionIn 1 2
-
-  CreateDirectory "$INSTDIR\Documentation"
-  SetOutPath "$INSTDIR\Documentation\"
-  File "opendylan.chm"
-
-  WriteRegStr HKLM "${REGISTRY_KEY}\1.0\OnlineHelp" "DocPath" "$INSTDIR\Documentation\opendylan.chm"
-  WriteRegStr HKLM "${REGISTRY_KEY}\1.0\OnlineHelp" "DocType" "HTMLHelp"
-SectionEnd
-
 Section "Associate .ddb files" SecAssocDDB
   SectionIn 1 2
 
@@ -310,8 +299,6 @@ SectionEnd
 !insertmacro MUI_FUNCTION_DESCRIPTION_BEGIN
   !insertmacro MUI_DESCRIPTION_TEXT ${SecOpendylanCore} \
                "${APPNAME} core files (required)"
-  !insertmacro MUI_DESCRIPTION_TEXT ${SecDoc} \
-               "Install the documentation.."
   !insertmacro MUI_DESCRIPTION_TEXT ${SecRedistributable} \
                "Copy redistributable files to separate folder. It is possible to run make-redistributable.bat later to do this."
   !insertmacro MUI_DESCRIPTION_TEXT ${SecModifyPath} \

documentation/source/release-notes/2026.2.rst

@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@ Compiler
   IDE has been removed, and the compiler will no longer attempt to
   assign a base address automatically when projects are saved.
 
+IDE
+===
+
+* The :menuselection:`Help --> Contents and Index` and
+  :menuselection:`Help --> Help on Selection` menu items now open the
+  https://opendylan.org web site in the default browser rather than
+  starting an outdated HTML Help file.
+
 Tools
 =====
 

sources/environment/tools/help.dylan

@@ -121,9 +121,8 @@ define method do-execute-command
   frame-show-about-box(frame)
 end method do-execute-command;
 
-/// NB This filename is agreed with the doc team and will be found in the OS Help directory.
 define help-source open-dylan
-  as(<string>, release-help-location())
+  release-help-web-address()
 end help-source;
 
 define method frame-help-source
@@ -183,8 +182,6 @@ end method help-credits;
 
 /// Web site command tables
 
-define constant $download-doc-page = release-web-address();
-
 define function frame-open-dylan-web-page
     (frame :: <frame>, #key page = release-web-address()) => ()
   let location = as(<url>, page);
@@ -194,66 +191,18 @@ end function frame-open-dylan-web-page;
 
 /// Help command table
 
-define settings <documentation-settings> (<open-dylan-local-settings>)
-  key-name "OnlineHelp";
-  slot doctype :: <symbol> = #"None";
-  slot docpath :: <string> = "";
-end settings <documentation-settings>;
-
-define constant $documentation-settings = make(<documentation-settings>);
-
-define function online-doc-installed?
-    () => (installed? :: <boolean>)
-  $documentation-settings.doctype ==  #"HTMLHelp"
-end function online-doc-installed?;
-
-define function online-doc-location
-    () => (location :: false-or(<file-locator>))
-  let path = $documentation-settings.docpath;
-  $documentation-settings.doctype ~= #"None"
-    & path
-    & ~empty?(path)
-    & as(<file-locator>, path)
-end function online-doc-location;
-
 define sideways method frame-help-contents-and-index
     (frame :: <frame>) => ()
-  do-frame-help(frame, <help-on-topics>)
+  let location = as(<url>, release-help-web-address());
+  frame-open-object(frame, location);
 end method frame-help-contents-and-index;
 
 define sideways method frame-help-on-keyword
     (frame :: <frame>, keyword) => ()
-  do-frame-help(frame, <help-on-keyword>, keyword: keyword)
+  let location = as(<url>, release-help-web-address());
+  frame-open-object(frame, make(<cgi-url>, file: location, cgi-string: keyword));
 end method frame-help-on-keyword;
 
-//--- Hack because HTMLHelp doesn't seem to like multiple threads chattering away to it
-define method do-frame-help
-    (frame :: <frame>, class :: subclass(<command>), #rest initargs) => ()
-  let location = online-doc-location();
-  case
-    online-doc-installed?() =>
-      let primary = environment-primary-frame();
-      // Make sure the primary frame is in front, to make sure the Help window
-      // doesn't appear behind other windows because it is owned by the primary frame.
-      call-in-frame(primary, deiconify-frame, primary);
-      call-in-frame(primary, raise-frame, primary);
-      let command = apply(make, class, server: primary, initargs);
-      call-in-frame(primary, execute-command, command);
-    location & file-exists?(location) =>
-      frame-open-object(frame, location);
-    otherwise =>
-      if (environment-question
-            (format-to-string
-               ("%s online documentation is not installed.  "
-                  "Download it from the web?",
-                release-product-name()),
-             owner: frame,
-             exit-style: #"yes-no"))
-        frame-open-dylan-web-page(frame, page: $download-doc-page)
-      end;
-  end
-end method do-frame-help;
-
 // "Service" function, mainly for use by environment-manager library.
 define sideways method show-documentation
     (name :: <string>,

sources/environment/tools/primary-frame.dylan

@@ -178,13 +178,6 @@ define method make-help-tool-bar-buttons
               command: frame-open-playground,
               activate-callback: method (sheet)
                                    frame-open-playground(sheet-frame(sheet))
-                                 end),
-         make(<button>,
-              label: $help-bitmap,
-              documentation: $help-topics-doc,
-              command: frame-help-contents-and-index,
-              activate-callback: method (sheet)
-                                   frame-help-contents-and-index(sheet-frame(sheet))
                                  end))
 end method make-help-tool-bar-buttons;
 

sources/lib/release-info/common-info.dylan

@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@ define constant $release-full-copyright =
   "\n";
 
 define constant $release-web-address = "https://opendylan.org";
+define constant $release-help-web-address
+  = "https://opendylan.org/open-dylan-ide-help";
 
 define constant $license-agreement-filename   = "License.txt";
-define constant $help-filename                = "opendylan.chm";
 
 
 /// Release constants
@@ -69,6 +70,11 @@ define function release-web-address
   $release-web-address
 end function release-web-address;
 
+define function release-help-web-address
+    () => (location :: <string>)
+  $release-help-web-address
+end function release-help-web-address;
+
 /// Library pack information
 
 define method library-pack-name (pack :: <integer>) => (name :: <string>)
@@ -201,9 +207,3 @@ define function release-license-agreement-location
   release-file($license-agreement-filename)
 end function release-license-agreement-location;
 
-define function release-help-location
-    () => (location :: <file-locator>)
-  release-file($help-filename,
-               directory: release-subdirectory("Documentation/"))
-end function release-help-location;
-

sources/lib/release-info/module.dylan

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ define module release-info
          release-version,
          release-copyright,
          release-web-address,
+         release-help-web-address,
          release-full-name,
          release-full-copyright;
 
@@ -39,8 +40,7 @@ define module release-info
          release-library-packs-directory,
          release-templates-directory,
          release-source-templates-directory,
-         release-license-agreement-location,
-         release-help-location;
+         release-license-agreement-location;
 
   // Information accessors
   export info-author,