IMatch 2018 Sneak Peak: Help System App

[Mario]

IMatch 2018 by default uses the new IMatch online help system. This ensures that it always accesses the most recent content and other resources.
The help is automatically opened in your default web browser.

For users who are not always online or who prefer a locally installed IMatch help, I have written a separate IMatch Help System App.

This was my first project based on Electron, and I had (and have) to learn a lot of stuff. Electron does basically the same IMatch does: It embeds a Chromium web browser and thus enables people to write real (native) software for Windows, MacOS and Linux in JavaScript. This is pretty awesome stuff and many companies use it now to write cross-platform software.

The IMatch Help System App will become available when IMatch 2018 becomes available. Although I hope that the majority of users just uses the web-based help. Because this allows me to propagate changes, corrections and new content to all users by just updating my web site 

The IMatch Help System App is (I hope!) a lot faster and more comfortable than the Windows Help file IMatch currently ships with. I have integrated the same contents also available online, plus a better search function, favorites, a proper table of contents etc. And it does not block the IMatch user interface while it is open. Great improvement over the CHM help!

The Help System App installs/updates with a single click and does not require Administrative privileges.
Maybe I'll release a test version soon so interested users can give me feedback.

This is how the IMatch Help System App looks.
Very similar to the online version of the help, but a few more features and a real Windows application. Click to zoom.

[Carlo Didier]

Ahh, nice to have an offline version for travelers!
Thanks!

[thrinn]

And it does not block the IMatch user interface while it is open. Great improvement over the CHM help!

Yes indeed! That was always a bit unnerving. I often had to open the help separately (or minimize/restore the help window) because pressing F1 blocked some parts of the UI I needed to see.

[Jingo]

And it does not block the IMatch user interface while it is open. Great improvement over the CHM help!

Yes indeed! That was always a bit unnerving. I often had to open the help separately (or minimize/restore the help window) because pressing F1 blocked some parts of the UI I needed to see.

Such a bonus... I typically used to use a 3rd party CHM file viewer but that required loading it outside of IM so it was an extra step... this is such a pleasure!!

[ninusingh]

It's working smooth! Thanks a lot.

[krogerfeedbackco]

Thanks for the solution, but I still have some issues.