[Harrison Pratt]

I installed VIP PE 8.01 today and can't access context-sensitive help (e.g., by pressing F1 with the cursor on a keyword, such as "stdio"). The menu option Menu > Context Help also misbehaves. Both of these actions open a browser window here: https://wiki.visual-prolog.com/index.ph ... ain%20Page

The vip.chm and Language_Reference.pdf files are present here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Visual Prolog 8 PE\appData\doc\ . They are intact and open normally on double-click from Windows Explorer.

The menu option Help > Language Reference (wiki) and Help > Language Reference (book) work as expected.

I initially installed for "All Users", then uninstalled and reinstalled for one user. I installed both times with no file associations checked, thinking that would preserve my VIP 75 settings, but then tried Help > Restore File Associations. I didn't think that RFA would help ... and it didn't. I also tried a reboot after the first installation.

[Thomas Linder Puls]

The action of F1 depends on what the caret is on:

• Few things goes to the page you mention (I cannot recall what)
• Some to IDE description pages
• Some to sections in the language reference in the wiki
• Some to the PFC help file

But unfortunately the help file will not open on some computers. We have not been able to track down why, and we have decided to get rid of the PFC help file (but that has just happened yet).

Please try placing the caret in "clauses" and in "write" and in the project tree and in the message window, and the press F1 (in all such cases). Do they all misbehave?

[Harrison Pratt]

Links to language and PFC help seem broken:

From "clauses", "predicates", or "write" in a PRO file, the Main Page of the VP Wiki opens. https://wiki.visual-prolog.com/index.ph ... ain%20Page

These seem to be OK:

From the Project Tree window, F1 opens the IDE/Project Tree page: https://wiki.visual-prolog.com/index.ph ... ect%20Tree

From the Messages window, F1 opens the IDE/Message page: https://wiki.visual-prolog.com/index.ph ... s%20Window


Would it help to relocate (copy) the vip.chm and Language_Reference.pdf files elsewhere?

[Thomas Linder Puls]

Moving the files will not help, because the IDE is looking for them in that directory.

Furthermore when the caret is placed in "clauses" the IDE should link to the wiki on the WEB (but to a more relevant place).

I am not sure what to do, I will ask my colleagues whether they have any suggestions.

Is it correct that it works for you with an older Visual Prolog?

[Harrison Pratt]

Is it correct that it works for you with an older Visual Prolog? Yes

[Thomas Linder Puls]

Try making the files appData\HelpTopic.db and appData\HelpTopic64.db read-only.

[Harrison Pratt]

A solution may be close at hand: there is no HelpTopic64.db file in the appData directory and I am using 64-bit Windows.

HelpTopic.db permissions are set to:
Read & execute = Allow
Read = Allow
Write = neither Allow nor Deny checked

I won't make any changes in file access privileges until I hear back about HelpTopic64.db.

[Thomas Linder Puls]

There is no HelpTopic64.db in the Personal Edition (I had just forgotten that).

It is not the Security settings you should change it is the Read-only flag in the General settings.

[Harrison Pratt]

Changing General Settings for helpTopic.db to Read-Only fixed it!

I would not have expected that would make a difference in how the file was handled.

The CHM file is very helpful for learning the new version. I spent some time yesterday just using a 'diff' tool comparing the VIP 8 and VIP 7.5 PDC directories -- there are many helpful additions in 8.0. You are too modest about version 8!

I will upgrade shortly.

Thanks for your help!

[Thomas Linder Puls]

[Harrison Pratt]

This problem recurred after I updated to VIP 8.02.

As Thomas explained above, changing the properties for HelpTopic.db and HelpTopic64.db files to Read-only restores access to context-sensitive help from the IDE.

In my system, these files are here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Visual Prolog 8\appData\

Is this just a quirk specific to my system or is it a VIP installer issue?

[Thomas Linder Puls]

Some people experience this problem some don't. I am not sure why it happens at all.

But it is clearly our mistake that we forgot to add it the change to the installer.

[Harrison Pratt]

FYI -- context-sensitive help STOPPED working on my system a few days ago.

I found that helpTopic.db and helpTopic64.db file properties were not read-only. I changed them back to read-only and context-sensitive help work again.

Curious.