Scite help F1 no response

[AutoitMike]

Scite 3.4.4

Win 10

I click "Help" or press F1, there is no response

If I use the file explorer and double click Autoit.chm or Autoit3.chm help opens.

There is no dialog to check or uncheck "Always ask before opening this file" when clicking on these files.

 

If you are curious as to why I dont have the latest version, I am creating a back up laptop that has a VERY extensive automation application that I have written over the past 15 years.

 

An extremely potent, powerful, needed function has been deleted in the upgrade of Autoit in recent years that I can not do without. If my main laptop dies, which it almost did, I am in a very bad position. So I bought the exact same laptop and I am "cofiguring" it to work exactly the same as my main laptop. However, this one has been "Upgraded" to Win 10 which I hope is not the problem. 

Thanks for any help

[seadoggie01]

I've seen two reasons for this happening, but there may be more

1. Check that the install directory isn't on a network drive (mine is, and I get a blank screen in the chm file)
2. Check that you're in a *.au3 file already... it sounds stupid, but I've done it

Also, the upgrade to Windows 10 shouldn't be an issue. My work laptop and my personal laptop have both been upgraded from Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows 8 Home respectively.

[alienclone]

not sure about the "Help" issue, but ive had cases where an AutoIt update broke scripts.

my personal solution to this while still being able to use the new features that came with the update was to copy the functions inside the deprecated UDF and paste it directly into my script.

[Jos]

8 hours ago, AutoitMike said:

An extremely potent, powerful, needed function has been deleted in the upgrade of Autoit in recent years that I can not do without.

Care to share your unsurmountable issue?

 

As to your F1/Helpfile issue: Check what @seadoggie01 mentioned or else show the SciTE console output when you de Run or Compile so we can see what you are running.
Also provide the SciTE and AutoIt3 version information.

Jos

[AutoitMike]

The function I use , that is very powerful is that I can attached a AutoIt script to a word document and EXECUTE a Word VBA function AND pass parameters!

My application is Both Autoit scripts and Word VBA, each doing what it does best and talking directly to each other.

 

THE programmer doing it right.

Edited November 12, 2019 by AutoitMike

[iamtheky]

How does that answer any of the questions or requests for information?

my guess:  you are opening a new scite page, copying code over, and not hitting save before you try to F1.

[Zedna]

Look here at my very old the same problem and solution (read whole topic) --> AutoIt3Help.exe was the problem:

Side note: 

You can install more AutoIt's versions on one machine and use different version for different scripts.

Here is description how I do it and use it:

 

[seadoggie01]

Seriously, if you aren't upgrading because an old version of Word.au3 had _WordMacroRun, then just make it yourself and upgrade. Here's a quick version:

Func _WordMacroVBA($oApplication, $sMacroName, $vVar1=Default, $vVar2=Default, $vVar3=Default, $vVar4=Default, $vVar5=Default, _
      $vVar6=Default, $vVar7=Default, $vVar8=Default, $vVar9=Default, $vVar10=Default, _
      $vVar11=Default, $vVar12=Default, $vVar13=Default, $vVar14=Default, $vVar15=Default, _
      $vVar16=Default, $vVar17=Default, $vVar18=Default, $vVar19=Default, $vVar20=Default, _
      $vVar21=Default, $vVar22=Default, $vVar23=Default, $vVar24=Default, $vVar25=Default, _
      $vVar26=Default, $vVar27=Default, $vVar28=Default, $vVar29=Default, $vVar30=Default)
    Return $oApplication.Run($sMacroName, $vVar1, $vVar2, $vVar3, $vVar4, $vVar5, _
      $vVar6, $vVar7, $vVar8, $vVar9, $vVar10, $vVar11, $vVar12, $vVar13, $vVar14, $vVar15, _
      $vVar16, $vVar17, $vVar18, $vVar19, $vVar20, $vVar21, $vVar22, $vVar23, $vVar24, $vVar25, _
      $vVar26, $vVar27, $vVar28, $vVar29, $vVar30)
EndFunc

It does almost nothing. There probably was error checking for the Application object and COM errors, but that's easy enough for you to do... or just copy the old function and paste it into your script.

[orbs]

10 hours ago, iamtheky said:

... not hitting save before you try to F1.

that may seem unrelated, but it is correct. for F1 to work, the script must be saved to file. this is true for every version of AutoIt and SciTE that i have encountered.

[Jos]

1 hour ago, orbs said:

that may seem unrelated, but it is correct. for F1 to work, the script must be saved to file. this is true for every version of AutoIt and SciTE that i have encountered.

Which makes sense as all the configuration settings are done for a particular file extension, in this case *.au3. How else would SciTe know which config to use as it is build for multiple languages. Only the lexer default is set to au3lexer, which is why that right away works on a none saved file.

Jos

Edited November 12, 2019 by Jos

[AutoitMike]

OK,

I think that you are saying to use a different AutoItHelp.exe

I do not have a beta folder under \Autoit3 to take.

My Autoit3Help.exe is dated 12/21/2011 and is reported by windows as 38K

If I double click it, it opens, however, Scite will not open it.

What do I do now?

On the Word functions, I would really like to use the code I have been using for the past 14 years, I dont want to have to re invent the wheel.

 

[AutoitMike]

This is my 3 laptop layouts:

Original laptop:

Win 7 / Scite 3.2.0 / Autoit 3.3.8.1.  F1 works. /  _WordAttach and _WordMacroRun exist  /. Autoit3Help.exe is dated 12/21/2011 and is reported by windows as 38K

Back up #1 Laptop:

Win 7 / Scite 3.4.4  /  Autoit 3.3.8.1.  F1  works. /  _WordAttach and _WordMacroRun exist / Autoit3Help.exe is dated 12/21/2011 and is reported by windows as 38K

The Laptop I want to use as backup:

Win 10 / Scite 3.4.4  / AutoIt 3.3.8.1.   /.  F1 does not work  /  _WordAttach and _WordMacroRun exist  / Autoit3Help.exe is dated 12/21/2011 and is reported by windows as 38K

[Jos]

You could have followed the instructions and install the latest Beta version of download the latest autoit3.zip file and extract the latest au3help.exe from there, but I have now also made the latest autoit3help.exe available here....just give that a try and see if that solves your issue. 

Jos

[HurleyShanabarger]

Good morning,

if I install AutoIt and SciTE, open a script and press F1 the help won't open.

If i press F1 repeatedly I see in the TaskManager that AutoIt3Help.exe is starting with the commandline "script." but nothing happens.

Directly open the chm-file is working.

 

I am not really sure what the issue is - can somebody help me to figure this out?

 

[Jos]

Did you use the separate installer to install SciTE4AutoIt3?
What is the exact commandline you see?
Are you using the latest version as indicated in the above post?

Jos

Edited May 16, 2020 by Jos

[HurleyShanabarger]

Yes, after the problem occured I uninstalled both AutoIt and SciTE. I did download both again (AutoIt and Scite) and installed both.

The command line of AutoIt3Help.exe is changing, depending on what has been selected in SciTE, but it is closing immediately.

[Jos]

,,,,and did you try updating autoit3help.exe by following these instructions?: 

On 11/13/2019 at 9:22 AM, Jos said:

You could have followed the instructions and install the latest Beta version of download the latest autoit3.zip file and extract the latest au3help.exe from there, but I have now also made the latest autoit3help.exe available here....just give that a try and see if that solves your issue. 

Jos

 

[HurleyShanabarger]

3 minutes ago, Jos said:

,,,,and did you try updating autoit3help.exe by following these instructions?: 

 

Yes, I did this. But apparently it is the exact same file already provided in the installer here?

[Jos]

The au3help.exe file is part of the AutoIt3 installer, not the SciTE4AutoIt3 installer.

...just checked and they are indeed the same now.

Could you try the current one I placed in the link, which is the latest version provide with the Beta?

 

Edited May 16, 2020 by Jos

[HurleyShanabarger]

7 minutes ago, Jos said:

The au3help.exe file is part of the AutoIt3 installer, not the SciTE4AutoIt3 installer.

...just checked and they are indeed the same now.

Could you try the current one I placed in the link, which is the latest version provide with the Beta?

 

Thanks for checking this. I just downloaded the file, it still shows version 1.0.0.8, but the MD5 is now different than before (D758276F536E24687A3591DC1A2EFFAB).

However the issue is still there.