Windows HLP files for Win 3.1 and 95 can be compiled from specially formated RTF files using the Microsoft Help File Compiler
Sample .HLP, .RTF etc.. files that show some uncommonly used tricks are in the files directory under winhelp.
MS Word 6.0 is the ONLY reliable RTF editor for help files
\par {\uldb This text}{\v\uldb !PW(512,512,512,512,0,}{\v "}{\v\uldb main}{\v "}{\v\uldb )}
will cause the help windows to be positioned in the lower right quarter of the screen...\par
The above text would appear as "This text" with a double underline followed by "!PW(512,512,512,512,0)" as hidden text in an RTF editor like MS Word 6.0.
\par {\uldb Clicking here}{\v !ExecProgram("tform.exe", 0)}
The above text will launch transform if this help file is located in the TransForm install directory. This works because the text "Clicking here" is linked to "!ExecProgram("tform.exe", 0) " rather than to another file or anchor/bookmark. Change the 0 to a 2 to make the program start maximized or to a 1 to make it start minimized.
A help file will always remain on top in Windows 3.1 if a ! CheckItem("mnu_helpontop") footnote macro command is included. This command could also be placed in the .HPJ file in the CONFIG section. For example:
[CONFIG]
CheckItem("mnu_helpontop")
In Windows 95 the HelpOnTop() macro can be used but it is a toggle, if always on top is already set, the HelpOnTop() macro will turn it OFF! It appears that if the HelpOnTop() macro is used only at the start of the help file, it will work as expected since the default for a newly opened help file is apparently always with always on top off.
A WMF picture of an x was directly embedded into the RTF source of the sample document with the following text:
{\pict\wmetafile8\picw2880\pich2880
0100090000034f0000000200090000000000
050000000b0200000000050000000c026400
6400090000001d066200ff00640064000000
000008000000fa0200000200000000000000
040000002d01000005000000140200000000
050000001302640064000500000014020000
64000500000013026400000008000000fa02
00000000000000000000040000002d010100
04000000f00100000300000000004e0dff00
870020000050000020000000000000000000}
\par