FAR HTML

FAR HTML is a free Windows application.
A collection of help authoring and file utilities.

Testimonials

  

"FAR is fantastic and simple to use.  It changes html pages into to chm files." -- Ralph Thomas. www.emathlearning.com


"This is without doubt the most powerful, yet simple to use HTMLHelp creation tool we've ever used. We created our first test CHM with dynamic linking within 10 minutes of installation. All our product documentation will now be created with FARHTML going forward" -- Ryan Healey, www.instantasp.com 

 

"I'M LOVING FAR! As a freelance tech writer, I work on a lot of online help projects, and FAR is "by far" the best HAT utility I've ever found. The Help generators are fast, don't mess up my HTML code (unlike other HAT's), and afford me a lot of control over how the finished Help files will work and look. FAR is a great addition to my professional "toolbox" and I look forward to using it for future projects." -- Tanja Rosteck, Words4Nerds


"FAR RULES! FAR saved many days (probably weeks) of hard grunt work. FAR's ability to compile and then edit TOC and INDEX files, as well as its abilities to "Find and Replace" text on mass, as I see it, are unrivalled! In addition, FAR's developers have been extremely helpful whenever I had questions regarding the program." -- Ian Patton, HyperScribe Inc.


"FAR (Find And Replace) is an excellent tool for globally finding and replacing data within web pages." -- Rhonda Bracey, CyberText 


"Your FAR is a great source for me. I do all my projects with FAR. I also use it for automatically generating the file list." -- Josef Becker, HelpMaster.com


"I suddenly had to convert my CHM Help system back to a regular HTML help-type file system. Using your utility it took all of about 2 minutes to correctly remove all HTML Help code. I'd estimated about 5 hours for doing the job manually!!" -- David Altmann, Future Strategy


"Creating Hebrew help files proved the most difficult. Much to our frustration, the results we obtained from flagships of the trade we tried left a lot to be desired... Until FAR. The TOC works and appears right to left as should be, the index works, Search locates whichever strings we require and all the links function as first designed. Will take you a long way, FAR" -- Ruth Levin, Roshtov Software Ind.

Product Description

FAR HTML is a collection of help authoring and file utilities. If you need to quickly manipulate HTML, XML, ASCII text files, or author help projects (HTML Help 1.x, MS Help 2.x, MS Help Viewer 1.x, Help Viewer 2.x and Uncompressed Web Help) then FAR will save you lots of time and money. You can safely use FAR HTML and MS Workshop/SDK side by side. FAR also works in batch (unattended) mode. Download the full 30 trial version of FAR HTML today.


PDF File: FAR Tutorial by BMCSoftware

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions 

Yes. You must enter the free license unlock codes to change the trial download version into the full version.
See Blog to get your free unlock codes.

** Version 6 no longer uses registration codes and will not expire.

You must enter all 3 license codes (or 2 codes if that's what you were given) "exactly" as we sent them to you. Do not enter your own name.  

Note: a FAR HTML 5.x Key looks like FAR5-xxxx... and a FAR HTML 4.x Key looks like FAR4-xxxx... A FAR 4 key won't work in FAR 5.
** Version 6 no longer uses registration codes and will not expire.

FAR Setup.exe is built using the INNO installer so any of the INNO command-line parameters are applicable.

Here's how to install silently:


far55_inst790.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES


Microsoft Help Compilers

To compile help you will need to download and install the appropriate Microsoft help SDK (aka Help Workshop).

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms669985(VS.85).aspx 

Download MS HTML Help Workshop installer (htmlhelp.exe) from the Microsoft site. This is free and contains the HH compiler. 

At the end of the install there is an error displayed as it tries to install hhupd.exe (help runtime). Ignore this. Windows XP and later ships with the runtime.

Visual Studio 7.0/7.1/8/9 (2002/2003/2005/2008) help.  

FAR HTML supports MS Help 2.x, the help system for VS 2002/2003/2005/2008. 

For information on how to download the MS Help 2 Workshop (VS SDK) see the H2 Info Page.

Help system for Visual Studio 10/11 (2010/2012).

Testing your help will require Visual Studio 10 or 11. Compilation does not require any special software.

Note that your FAR HTML 5 license includes a mshcMigrate.exe license. This is our HV toolbox and migration tool.

If FAR HTML 5 is installed the mshcMigrate Aboutbox will display that you are fully licensed.

Microsoft Authoring Help FAQ


About FAR HTML

We first started working on FAR in the late 1990's, when HTML Help was first shipped with IE4 and Win98. Since then it has expanded and become an indispensable tool to many users. Companies like IBM, Intel, Microsoft, ESRI, Sony, Component One, Borland, HP, Agilent, Boeing, Exceed (the list goes on) all use the tool. We get a lot of fan mail encouraging us to maintain the tool.

FAR is clever in that it fills many of the gaps left by other main stream tools. Yet FAR is capable of holding its own when it comes to creating and maintaining industry standard documentation and help. Many of our clients, sick of the cost and problems associated with some large help authoring tools (HATs) , have dumped them for FAR and are now very happy (and not so poor).

Some of these other tools are more than 10x the cost of FAR but do less and are less reliable. 

We hope you are more productive in your day because of FAR Tools. 

FAR is several tools in one. Yet is still lightweight and fast. FAR is a native win 32 application.  

File Module

High performance file utilities works fast over millions of files. Includes Batch (unattended) mode.


HTML Help Module

Create industry standard HTML Help (.chm help files). HTML Help is the recommend format for all Windows application help.


MS Help 2 Module

Create and integrate help into Visual Studio 2002/2003/2005/2008 (VS 7.0, 7.1, 8, 9)

MS Help 3 / Help Viewer Module

Create and maintain help for Visual Studio 2010/2012 (VS 10/11) and greater.


Web Help / Uncompressed Help Module 

Create help that will run on a web site. With JavaScript based TOC / Index / Search.


Feature List

FAR HTML is a toolbox full of various authoring, file and HTML utilities. Version 5.x now fully supports Unicode

FAR requires you have a HTML Editor to create your help web.

We recommend Microsoft Expression Web; Microsoft FrontPage or Adobe Dreamweaver (really anything that produces clean HTML -- Not MS Word).

Wikipedia: HTML Editors > List of HTML Editors


About Version 5.x

FAR HTML 5 is a significant improvement for this popular tool. See revision history for a full list of changes and fixes.

Unicode support means that on an English PC you can natively work in any foreign languages. For example:

Note: MS HTML Help 1.x is ANSI technology and must still be authored on the correct language PC (a limitation of MS HTML Help not FAR).


Requirements

FAR HTML 5 requires Windows 2000/XP/2003/2008/Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8.


For Authoring HTML Help (.chm)

For Authoring MS Help 2.x (.hxs) -- Visual Studio 7.0/7.1/8/9 (2002/2003/2005/2008) help.

For Authoring Help Viewer 1.x/2.x (.mshc) -- Help system for Visual Studio 10/11 (2010/2012).