            VBdocman 1.0 trial - An Automatic VB Documentation Generator



1. OVERVIEW

VBdocman is a program for automatic generating of technical 
documentation from your Visual Basic source files with just few mouse clicks. 
It parses source code and automatically creates table of contents, index, 
topics, cross-references and context sensitive help. The format of output 
documentation is fully configurable by user. The predefined output formats are:

  - HTML Help (*.chm file which looks like MSDN)-2 variants
  - HTML files (with Java index and table of contents)
  - WinHelp (*.hlp file)
  - RTF document

User is allowed to define his own format for any ASCII based document such 
as XML, LATEX, custom HTML and others.



2. HOW IT WORKS

VBdocman works as an add-in into MS Visual Basic 6.0. After invoking simple dialog 
through main menu and (in the simplest case) clicking one button the specified 
output documentation is generated. It automatically creates all interesting 
links such as "Applies To", "Methods", "Events", "Properties", "Events", table 
of contents and index. In greater projects only this work saves many days of 
boring work. Documentation can be then edited and additional description given 
there such as "See Also", "Examples" links, object, method, property or event 
description, parameters description and so on. VBdocman allows to add even that 
description automatically by extracting it from source code comment from 
special tags. It works similarly as JavaDoc system. But, user is not forced 
to write comments manually, VBdocman adds it itself just by two mouse clicks. All 
necessary tags are added and user then fills just short description to them. 
The types of information that can be extracted are:

  - See Also links
  - Examples links>
  - Object, method, property or event description
  - Parameters description
  - Settings description
  - Return value
  - Remarks



3. INSTALLATION

Just run installation EXE file. VBdocman will be installed. After that it should
be accessible in VB IDE Add-Ins list. Detailed help is also available. 

NOTE:
Due to a bug in the Microsoft products, after you install VBdocman Add-In 
and log on to the machine as a different user (with or without administrator 
privileges), you cannot see VBdocman in the Add-In dialog in Visual Basic.
Therefore, every other user should run "Add to IDE for current user.bat" script 
which adds VBdocman into Visual Basic and saves it into his profile. If any error 
occurs, check the path to "regsvr32.exe" on your machine and edit it in this 
script.



4. UNINSTALLATION

Go to "Control Panel" -> "Add/Remove Programs" and select VBdocman. All work 
is done automatically.



5. TRIAL VERSION

Trial 14 day version of VBdocman comes with these limitations:

  - warning message is displayed every time a new documentation is compiled
  - all documentation topics are generated properly except:
      1. Only 4 randomly selected methods and 4 randomly selected 
         properties are documented properly. All other methods and 
         properties contain warning message instead of description field.
      2. All function topics contain only warning message.
  - after 14 days it is not allowed to compile documentation


6. CONTACT

Author: Peter Macej
E-mail: vbdoc@exit.de
Home page and registration information: http://vbdocman.exit.de