Localizing application help on Symbian

Article Metadata

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Tested with

Devices(s): Nokia E90 Communicator

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Compatibility

Platform(s): S60 3rd Edition
S60 3rd Edition, FP1
S60 3rd Edition, FP2

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Platform Security

Capabilities: )

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Article

Created: tapiolaitinen (06 Feb 2008)

Last edited: hamishwillee (24 Jun 2011)

Overview

This code example describes how to localize the help files of an application.

This snippet can be self-signed.

Steps

1. Create a help file for all the languages that you need to support. See CS000809 - Implementing context-sensitive help for information on how to implement help files.

2. Edit the makefile (group\help.mk) so that it compiles the localized help resources:

makmake :
    cshlpcmp ..\help\help_sc.xml
    cshlpcmp ..\help\help_09.xml
 
ifeq (WINS, $(findstring WINS, $(PLATFORM)))
    copy ..\help\App_sc.hlp $(EPOCROOT)\epoc32\$(PLATFORM)\c\resource\help
    copy ..\help\App_09.hlp $(EPOCROOT)\epoc32\$(PLATFORM)\c\resource\help
endif
 
 
clean :
    del ..\help\App_sc.hlp
    del ..\help\App_sc.hlp.hrh
    del ..\help\App_09.hlp
    del ..\help\App_09.hlp.hrh
 
 
bld :
    cshlpcmp ..\help\help_sc.xml
    cshlpcmp ..\help\help_09.xml
 
ifeq (WINS, $(findstring WINS, $(PLATFORM)))
    copy ..\help\App_sc.hlp $(EPOCROOT)\epoc32\$(PLATFORM)\c\resource\help
    copy ..\help\App_09.hlp $(EPOCROOT)\epoc32\$(PLATFORM)\c\resource\help
endif
 
 
freeze lib cleanlib final resource savespace releasables :

Note: When editing the makefile, make sure that you use tabulators instead of spaces, or you get the error "HELP.MK:27: *** missing separator. Stop."

3. Wherever you have used App.hlp.hrh, you should now use App_sc.hlp.hrh because the KContextApplication constant can be found there:

#include "App_sc.hlp.hrh"

Make sure that you use the same identifier in each help file (rtf), so that it does not matter which one of the hrh files you include.

4. Insert the LANG attribute as well as all the help-related files into the group\[app].mmp file:

LANG            SC 01 09
 
SOURCEPATH      ..\help
DOCUMENT        help_sc.rtf
DOCUMENT        help_09.rtf
DOCUMENT        help_sc.xml
DOCUMENT        help_09.xml
DOCUMENT        custom.xml

5. Make sure that the localized help resources are compiled into the SIS package (see sis\[app].pkg):

{
"..\help\App_sc.hlp"
"..\help\App_09.hlp"
} -"!:\resource\help\App.hlp"

6. Compile the files and create the SIS package.

See also

• CS000809 - Implementing context-sensitive help