[issue1489051] keyword and topic help broken in Pythonwin IDE

[Terry J. Reedy]

Terry J. Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> added the comment:

Py3.0a5 installed in C;/Program Files/

Start/Python30/Python Manuals, using Python30.chm, works great.  Thank
you for that.  In the interpreter (and IDLE) help(object) works fine. 
Ditto.  But for topics and keywords, I got the same message as the OP.

Opinion: After 2 years, I think the priority of this issue should be
raised: help should 'just work' as installed, especially on Windows. 
Until is does, the instructions need to be improved so that normal users
 and Python beginners, and not just DOS/Windows experts, can fix it.

The instruction '''
On the Microsoft Windows operating system, the files can be built by
running "hh -decompile . PythonNN.chm" in the C:\PythonNN\Doc>
directory.''' makes several assumptions about knowledge that many do not
have.  Since a running Python knows its version and starting location,
it should make the implied substitutions itself.

With that done, here are two possible interpretations of 'run... in..." 

1. '''Open Start/Run, enter "hh -decompile . C:/Program
Files/Python30/Doc/Python30.chm" in the box, and click OK'''.
[Since I did not try this, I do not really know if this will put the
result in the right place.]

2. '''Open Start/All programs/Accessories/Command Prompt, enter "cd
C:/Program Files/Python30/Doc", enter "dir" to check that Python30.chm
is present, enter "hh -decompile . Python30.chm", and enter "dir' again
and you should see several new files and directories.'''

I suspect that very few of additions are needed by help() for topics and
keywords.  If I am correct, then instead of a complete decompile,...

Suggestion 1a (permanent): When installing on Windows, include in /Doc
the minimum html files needed by help() so no decompile is needed.
Suggestion 1b (interim): expand instructions as indicated above.

After closing and restarting Python, I still got the same error message.
  I assumed "because the Python HTML documentation files could not be
found.  If you have installed them, please set the environment variable
PYTHONDOCS to indicate their location." indicated the problem.  But what
should one do with more than one version of Python present, which is or
will be normal for most who install 3.0.

Suggeston 2a (permanent): help should just look in the default location
for the version it is running on.  Or it should set its own copy on
first use.  Or the interpreter should.

Suggestion 2b (interim): give details on how to set an e.v.  Python is
the first Windows XP program I can remember that asked me to do this.

XP procedure: To set for all users, switch to admin account. Open
Start/Control Panel/System.  Click Advanced tab and Environment
Variables button.  For all users, add a System variable.  Otherwise, add
a User variable.  In either case, set PYTHONDOCS to "C:\Program
Files\Python30\Doc"

However, after I did this, I restarted Python, and listed
os.environ.items() to verify ('PYTHONDOCS', 'C:\\Program
Files\\Python30\\Doc').  However help still does not work.  ?????

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nosy: +tjreedy

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