Highlighting text in the default Windows CHM viewer

Question

How do I set up the default CHM reader in Windows to highlight text? Is this even possible?

When I read ebooks I need to highlight some of the text and it's just not there in the default CHM program.

Or would I be better off looking for another CHM viewer? If that's the case I'm best up for something that would work on Windows, Linux and Mac if that's the alternative.

Solution 1

I just found Kchmviewer. It looks really good with:

• Windows, Mac and Linux.
• Easy navigation: ctrl + left or right arrow keys to navigate next or previous sections
• Tabbed interface
• Ability to change font size
• Allows you to add your own persistent bookmarks
• Excellent search even for files without and index
• Highlights text just fine

I've installed it on Windows 7 64-bit and it works great:

Solution 2

There is a handy Firefox add-on called CHM Reader which allows you to open CHM files within Firefox:

To achieve the highlighting support you're after you can use TextMarker!, another useful add-on:

Of course, it will work on any platform with Firefox installed.

Solution 3

HelpExplorer is a full-featured help viewer for both Windows and Linux. One of its main advantages is 100% support of the WinHelp (.hlp), MS HTML Help 1.x (.chm) and MS Help 2.0 (.HxS) help file formats that are widely used in Windows, which lets you use the same online help files for cross-platform applications running under Linux and Windows. Another great advantage of Help Explorer Viewer is its easy integration into your applications.

There is a little problem, though. The program is officially shareware, but you can't really pay for it since the company seems to have vanished from the face of the earth and all links are dead. However, it does the job and works with all Windows versions, it doesn't expire, there's no nag screen and it can be made portable. I'm quite happy with it.

HelpExplorer also allows you to highlight (and copy) text and images:

Comments

[n1kh1lp]

does it support text highlighting? I need this when I read ebooks.

[fabb]

yes it does, added screenshot.

[harrymc]

If that's called highlighting, then the default Windows viewer does it as well.

[n1kh1lp]

I couldn't figure out how to highlight text. Didnt find any help on that either. Can you tell me please?

[John T]

You can highlighty simply with the mouse. Screenshot added for clarity.

[Chris]

thanks to harrymc's comment to my post, i now assume zero4 is rather looking for some 'mark up' feature as you get it with some PDF viewers.

[John T]

That sounds about right, I was going to say... the Windows one allows you to highlight the other way so that doesn't make sense. Answer Updated.

[John T]

A user of the add-on made a comment regarding that actually! - Great. Just does exactly what's needed. Pages or paragraphs of text with highlights can be saved perfectly with the UnMHT extension, including the highlights. very cool indeed :)

[Chris]

effin' brilliant ... off to post this in my favorite ebook forum (if you don't mind. :)

[John T]

No need for permission, user submitted content to this site is licensed under cc-wiki ( creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5 ). The only quirk is attribution is required: blog.stackoverflow.com/2009/06/attribution-required

[sleske]

The link you provide for HelpExplorer is broken, and the company home page (according to Google) is gone. Did company & product disappear?

[blizpasta]

@sleske try this link: download.cnet.com/Help-Explorer-Viewer/…