FIX: Custom AppWizard Errors with Applications That Have Help (186895)


The information in this article applies to:

  • The AppWizard, when used with:
    • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Enterprise Edition 5.0
    • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Professional Edition 5.0
This article was previously published under Q186895

SYMPTOMS

A new, Custom AppWizard project exhibits one of the following two problems if it is based on an existing application that has context-sensitive Help support:

  • If the existing application has been built already, the Custom AppWizard reports the following error after the Finish button is clicked to create the project:
    The select project contains two or more files with the same filename in different directories and therefore cannot be used to create a custom AppWizard. This is most likely caused by the project containing a subproject.
  • After resolving the first problem, or if the existing application has NOT been built, Custom AppWizard finishes with no error. A project generated from this new Custom AppWizard build with no errors, but the resulting application has no Help file. The following error message appears when Help Topics is clicked from the application's Help menu:
    Cannot find the <exe_path>\<exe_name>.hlp file. Do you want to try to find this file yourself?
    Choosing No causes the following error report:
    Cannot find the <exe_path>\<exe_name>.hlp Help file. Check to see that the file exists on your disk. If it doesn't, you need to reinstall it."

CAUSE

Problem 1: Custom AppWizard Error

Custom AppWizard sees two .hlp files and two .cnt files in the new project.

Problem 2: No Help File Produced

Two distinct problems cause this symptom:

  • The new Custom AppWizard does not make custom build settings for its projects' .hpj file. Therefore, the project build does not launch Makehelp.bat to build the help files.
  • The project's .hpj file refers to invalid file paths.

RESOLUTION

The workarounds below resolve both problems.

Problem 1: Custom AppWizard Error

Delete the .hlp file and the .cnt file from the existing application's project's HLP\ folder. The Custom AppWizard should now finish without error.

Problem 2: No Help File Produced

  1. Open the project generated from the new Custom AppWizard.
  2. On the Project menu, click Settings.
  3. In the Settings dialog box, expand the project tree and select the project's .hpj file under the Source Files folder.
  4. In the Settings For list, click All Configurations.
  5. Click the Custom Build tab.
  6. In the Description box, type, "Making help file...".
  7. In the Build command(s) box, enter the following text: 
          call "$(ProjDir)\makehelp.bat"
  8. In the Output file(s) box, enter the following text: 
          $(OutDir)\$(TargetName).hlp
  9. Click OK to save the settings and exit the dialog box.
  10. Open the project's .hpj file in the Visual C++ IDE. Modify the following lines, replacing "project_name" and "project_path" with the correct values for the new project: 
          [OPTIONS]
      ...
      HLP=project_name.HLP
      ERRORLOG=project_name.LOG
      ...
      [MAP]
      ...
      #include <project_path\project_name\hlp\project_name.hm
    For example, for a project named TESTING that resides in the C:\ directory: 
          [OPTIONS]
      ...
      HLP=TESTING.HLP
      ERRORLOG=TESTING.LOG
      ...
      [MAP]
      ...
      #include <C:\TESTING\hlp\TESTING.hm>
  11. Save the changes, and close the file.
Rebuild and run the application. Context help should now function correctly.

To permanently fix the invalid file paths problem for a Custom AppWizard, edit the root.hpj file in its project "Template Files" folder. Modify the following lines exactly as indicated (the macros bracketed by $$ are case- sensitive): 
   [OPTIONS]
   ...
   HLP=$$root$$.HLP
   ERRORLOG=$$root$$.LOG
   ...
   [MAP]
   ...
   #include <$$FULL_DIR_PATH$$hlp\$$root$$.hm>
Save the root.hpj template file and rebuild the Custom AppWizard project. New projects generated from this Custom AppWizard now contain the correct file paths, making steps 10 and 11 above unnecessary. However, the custom build step must still be adjusted manually.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Visual C++, version 6.0.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

Problem 1: Custom AppWizard Error

  1. Create an AppWizard MFC application with context-sensitive help.
  2. Build the application.
  3. Create a Custom AppWizard application based on an existing project; use the project created in step 1 as the "based-on" project.
RESULT: The Custom AppWizard displays the error noted above.

Problem 2: No Help File Produced

  1. Create an AppWizard MFC application with context-sensitive help.
  2. Do not build it; create a Custom AppWizard based on this existing project.
  3. Build the new Custom AppWizard.
  4. On the File menu, click New.
  5. Click the Projects tab, and select the newly built Custom AppWizard as the project type.
  6. Build and run this new application.
  7. From the application's Help menu, click Help Topics.
RESULT: The error messages described above appear.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/18/2003
Keywords:kbBug kbfix kbide kbVC600fix kbwizard KB186895
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.