Sphinx HTML Help Builder

2.1.0 · active · verified Sun Mar 29

sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp is a Sphinx extension that generates HTML Help files (CHM) from reStructuredText sources. It is currently at version 2.1.0 and is actively maintained, receiving updates frequently, often in sync with Sphinx core releases.

Warnings

gotcha Generating the final HTML Help (.chm) file from the Sphinx output requires the Microsoft HTML Help Workshop. This is a Windows-only tool, meaning the CHM compilation step cannot be performed on Linux, macOS, or other non-Windows operating systems.
Fix: Ensure you are building and compiling on a Windows environment or target a different output format.
gotcha The HTML Help (CHM) format is an older, Windows-specific documentation format. It may not be suitable for modern web-based documentation workflows, cross-platform users, or integration with contemporary documentation platforms. Consider if this format truly meets your audience's needs.
Fix: Evaluate whether alternative Sphinx builders (e.g., HTML, PDF via LaTeX, Epub) might better serve your documentation's distribution and accessibility requirements.
breaking The `sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp` library explicitly requires Python 3.9 or newer. Older Python versions are not supported.
Fix: Upgrade your Python environment to 3.9 or a newer compatible version.
deprecated While the `sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp` extension itself is actively maintained, the underlying HTML Help (.chm) format has largely been superseded by web-based documentation. Depending on your target audience, using this format might limit accessibility and modern features.
Fix: Consider migrating to standard HTML, Read the Docs, or other modern documentation platforms for better compatibility and user experience.

Install

pip install sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp Install latest version

Imports

sphinxcontrib.htmlhelp
```
extensions = ['sphinxcontrib.htmlhelp']
```
Sphinx extensions are enabled by adding their module name to the `extensions` list in `conf.py`, not via direct Python `import` statements in user code.

Quickstart

After installing the package, enable the extension by adding `'sphinxcontrib.htmlhelp'` to the `extensions` list in your Sphinx project's `conf.py` file. Then, build your documentation using the `htmlhelp` builder.

# 1. Install the extension
# pip install sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp

# 2. In your Sphinx project's conf.py file, add 'sphinxcontrib.htmlhelp' to the extensions list:
# conf.py
# ...
extensions = [
    'sphinx.ext.autodoc',
    'sphinx.ext.napoleon',
    'sphinxcontrib.htmlhelp'
]
# ...

# Optionally, configure HTML Help specific options (e.g., the output basename):
htmlhelp_basename = 'MyProjectDoc'

view raw JSON →