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Documentation New help system: "skip word list"

Dec
73
1
The new help system sure is fancy, but the search is limited because short commands like "do" or "if" are in the "skip word list" and you have to manually browse the tree to find these commands.

Probab seems minor do experienced devs, but for example with the multitude of options for "do" and the limited "do /?" output I always find myself needing the complete help.

Req: Take all tcc keywords/commands out of the "skip word list".
 
The new help system sure is fancy, but the search is limited because short commands like "do" or "if" are in the "skip word list" and you have to manually browse the tree to find these commands.

My guess: It's a setting in the help:
Code:
var MinWordLen = 3;
This is the default setting for the Helpandmanual help system.

And now we're at it: I would like the possibility to search for internal functions and variables: you cannot (I can't?) search for keywords like @ABS or _4ver ...
 
Last edited:
From the TCC prompt, type "help searchterm", it should find it. "help do", "help if", "help @abs", and "help _4ver" all work, but it is annoying you have to search from the command prompt instead of from inside the help file.
 
And now we're at it: I would like the possibility to search for internal functions and variables: you cannot (I can't?) search for keywords like @ABS or _4ver ...

Yeah, that's another issue I've encountered, too. I admit for the time being I've reverted to the good ol' help system from tcc 19, it might lack a few tcc 20+ function, but at least it finds what I'm searching for w/o further hassle.
 
Yeah, that's another issue I've encountered, too. I admit for the time being I've reverted to the good ol' help system from tcc 19, it might lack a few tcc 20+ function, but at least it finds what I'm searching for w/o further hassle.

Not for long -- Microsoft is busy removing support for .CHM help. Many parts are gone already; the rest will be gone in the near future.
 
From the TCC prompt, type "help searchterm", it should find it. "help do", "help if", "help @abs", and "help _4ver" all work, but it is annoying you have to search from the command prompt instead of from inside the help file.

I've added support for the short key words in the next build; however I suspect you'll find it more annoying to have it than you did not having it.

Remember, this is full text search, so a search on "DO" returns 66 pages of results.
 
I've added support for the short key words in the next build; however I suspect you'll find it more annoying to have it than you did not having it.

Remember, this is full text search, so a search on "DO" returns 66 pages of results.
What about "help do" or "do ... F1"? Will they work as expected?
 
Yeah, that's another issue I've encountered, too. I admit for the time being I've reverted to the good ol' help system from tcc 19, it might lack a few tcc 20+ function, but at least it finds what I'm searching for w/o further hassle.

That's a very good idea! (Why haven't I thought of that ...)
Both Help systems have pros and cons, but for me the possibility to navigate by keyboard, to "search as you type" and the option to create favourites are decisive factors to go back to the CHM help file.

(And when Microsoft pulls the plug on CHM support in a few years, there's a ton of third party CHM viewers around)
 
Microsoft already has pulled the plug on CHM support. There are a number of things that don't work any more (like the HTML help APIs.)

Thanks for letting us know (part of) the reason for this changed help system, looks like good ol' desktop usability is getting worse with all the direction the newer Windows version take. Microsoft seems to have struggled with their help system for a long time, I remember they designed ms help v2 and then abandoned it right away after using it only for a few products ... [title]

Looking on the bright side, MS being MS surely will screw up their new Linux subsystem with the bash emulation one way or the other, so TCC scripting is here to stay esp. now that the free runtime is out.
 

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