User Manual

Circuits

Hey guys, so I am trying to figure out how a user manual can be integrated into an existing application. Essentially, the user needs to be able to access information about the application while in the application.

For now, I just want to use a pdf document and display that to the user. However, some time in the future I would like to integrate this into the application as a feature. I am not sure what help framework's QT has. Does it have something like this:

A linked pdf/html document which would be accessible from anywhere in the application i.e. each feature in the application will have an associated icon/link that, when clicked, will forward the user to the relevant section in the pdf that explains that particular feature.

or perhaps something similar?

EDIT: I should mention:

-This application is an embedded Linux application and can only use Qt 5.11
-This is a QML application

mrjj

Hi
There is
https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qthelp-framework.html
see section Using QHelpEngine API

https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qhelpengine.html#details
and
https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qhelpcontentwidget.html#details

JoeCFD

Qt PDF module was introduced in Qt 5.14(https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtpdf-module.html) and therefore it is not an option for you. However, you can use poppler(https://poppler.freedesktop.org/) to replace it.
HTML can be displayed in QWebengineView which is available for Qt 5.11.

Circuits

@mrjj Thank you for the suggestions. After you posted your reply I added some caveat to my original question namely that:

-This application is an embedded Linux application and can only use Qt 5.11
-This is a QML application

Can you confirm if those methodology's would work in 5.11 on an embedded platform?

mrjj

@Circuits

Hi
Should also be there in 5.11

Im not sure integration with QML is possible directly but I guess you can make it work via the c++ backend.
im not sure you can show it directly IN the QML.

Circuits

@mrjj Wait, is this for use outside of the application? I need to display a user guide inside of the application. Something that, when the application is being run, will help guide the user through the application. It will give them hints on what a button does or what some feature does.

EDIT: I think, perhaps, that WebView will work for me? Not sure yet.

mrjj

@Circuits
hi
yes i understod that.
However, qhelpcontentwidget is for Widgets and you cant use it in pure QML.
unlike a widgets app.

Yes I think you can cook up something with WebView and simply jump to section in a html file.

Circuits

@mrjj Hm, for some reason I am unable to import QtWebView 1.1:

QML module not found (QtWebView).

Which seems odd, this is the correct import according to my documentation.

Circuits

@Circuits Never mind, I did end up getting it to work. There was a section of our make file that was excluding it as a module. I will see if I can get something basic working.