cowan has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

After spending time on google and super-search, I did not locate Window HTML Help file for Perl version 5.6 or later. I have a HELP file for Perl 5.5, but would prefer something more current. Do anyone have a location for help file?
Yes, I know about 'perldoc' command and perldoc web site, which are quite helpful. I want the newer HELP file so that I can invoke help requests from within my text editor (via right click on Perl code).

UPDATE: To clarify, the HTML version of the many, many POD files distributed with Activestate installation is not what I was hoping for. I was hoping for one HELP file, i.e. a .chm file gives me a general search feature from within my text editor (Multi-Edit). That is, point cursor at keyword, function, or module name and right-click context menu to do HELP lookup quickly.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: HTML Help File for Perl?
by mikeock (Hermit) on Feb 19, 2006 at 06:25 UTC
    If you install active state perl it will install the HTML version of the help documents that you are looking for.
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Re: HTML Help File for Perl?
by planetscape (Chancellor) on Feb 19, 2006 at 08:57 UTC
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      If he were going to go that route, he could just use pod2html directly. However, that would translate individual pieces of documentation and is overall probably not what he wants. (And, if that is what he wants, most of the individual pieces of documentation are already available on search.cpan.org and/or perldoc.com anyhow.) He's probably looking for the HTML documentation that comes with ActiveState, as the other poster suggested. ActiveState's documentation may include material from the standard documentation, but it's been arranged differently and IIRC uses a frameset to keep a Table of Contents on the side, and some things like that.
      Sanity? Oh, yeah, I've got all kinds of sanity. In fact, I've developed whole new kinds of sanity. Why, I've got so much sanity it's driving me crazy.
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        Agreed - individual pieces of documentation are probably not what the OP wants. Indeed, the OP specifically asked for an "HTML Help file", which I interpreted to mean as being in the MS HTML Help Workshop "compiled help" format, or a single cross-linked *.chm file.

        To that end, I have dug up a few promising-looking links which may enable the OP to go from the complete zipped HTML docs here, say, to CHM:


        Web 2 CHM
        Html2Hhc

        HTH,

        planetscape
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[d/l]
Re: HTML Help File for Perl?
by bart (Canon) on Feb 19, 2006 at 20:14 UTC
    I don't know what editor you're using, how invoking help with a rightclick menu works, or if you can configure it to do something else instead, but you might want to take a look at gmpassos' POD-Browser. It's a standalone program, in Perl, that opens plain POD in a nicely formatted display.

    And if it doesn't do what you want, I'm sure you can make it do so, after all, it's just a perl script. Even though it comes in an installer. With lots of libraries.

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Re: HTML Help File for Perl?
by spiritway (Vicar) on Feb 19, 2006 at 05:50 UTC

    I don't know of any Windows help file for Perl. You might try PerlIDE, which creates browser-viewable help documents from the documentation in the Perl installation.

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