About Accessing Help Files (AutoLISP)

The help function provides access to HyperText Markup Language (.htm/.html), Microsoft Compiled HTML Help (.chm), and Windows Help (.hlp) files. Depending on the Help file's extension, the help function calls the AutoCAD or the Windows Help viewer with the specified file. You can use this function to add a Help facility to your applications. The following code fragment calls the default AutoCAD Help file and provides information about the LINE command.

(help "" "line")

You can create a Help file that provides information about your applications or about procedures you use in your business. The following user-defined command displays the abcindoorcad.chm Help file as follows:

(defun C:ABCINDOORCADHELP ( )
  (help "abcindoorcad.chm")
 (princ)
)

The setfunhelp function provides help for user-defined commands. After the definition of your new command, adding a call to setfunhelp associates a specific help file and topic to the command. The following example assigns the help topic “MyCommand” in the abcindoorcad.chm file to the user-defined MYCOMMAND command:

(defun C:MYCOMMAND ( )
  .
  . Command definition
  .
)
(setfunhelp "c:mycommand" "abcindoorcad.chm" "mycommand")