            VBdocman 2.2 - An Automatic VB Documentation Generator
                                (Trial version)



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
(in several variants):

  - HTML Help (*.chm file which looks like MSDN)
  - 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. 
In addition, VBdocman provides user-friendly comment editor.
The types of information that can be extracted are:

  - See Also links
  - Examples links
  - Object, form, method, property, event, variable or constant description
  - Parameters description
  - Settings description
  - Return value
  - Remarks
  - Author
  - Version
  - Revision date
  - Source code, declaration, scope
  - User defined information



3. INSTALLATION

Before installing VBdocman uninstall any previous versions of VBdocman installed
on your computer. Then 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. 



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 but warning message is appended to them



6. HOW TO REGISTER

Anyone may use this software during a trial period of 14 days. 
Following this trial period of 14 days or less, if you wish to continue 
to use VBdocman, you MUST register (buy). When you buy VBdocman, you become
registered user.

There are two types of license:
Single computer usage license....$58
Site license.....................$419 

Registered users will obtain all future versions of VBdocman for FREE.

You can register at http://www.vbdocman.com via secure connection using ShareIt! service.
ShareIt! is well-known, leading shareware registration company.
It is quick and easy. Usually, you will have the full version in a while.

We accept Mastercard/Eurocard, Visa, American Express, and Diner's Club online. 
Alternatively, we support bank transfer /wire transfer, we accept Checks and Money Orders
through postal mail.

Immediately after the payment is accepted user receives e-mail with temporarily generated
URL which is valid for 14 days. At that address the full version can be downloaded.
Then uninstall trial version or some older versions of VBdocman from your computer and 
install downloaded full version.

Please visit http://www.vbdocman.com and follow Download/Buy link.



7. CHANGES
In version 2.2
 1. Project groups are supported now.
 2. XML output format added.
 3. Ability to create and edit example files directly from comment editor.
 4. Ability to include code samples directly to comments without need of example files.
    New $CODE$ and $END-CODE$ macros were added for this purpose.
 5. Pop-up menu contains three items now: "Add VBdocman comment", "Comment Editor" and
    "Copy as Code". The last one allows to insert formatted fragments of code into comments.
 6. User can choose whether the member summary should be written to hidden Description
    attribute during compilation. In the last version this could not be disabled.
 7. User can select whether the source code is included in documentation. Therefore, there
    is no need of separate templates with source code. User can also select whether the
    source code is included for each member individually using new @includesource tag.
 8. There is a new button in comment editor for automatic finding of interesting links
    in See Also section. When you press it, editor automatically shows a list of suggested
    links that might appear in See Also section. You can then select which are to be 
    inserted. VBdocman looks for implemented or implementing classes of current class, 
    argument types of current method or types used inside current method.
 9. Comment editor supports word wrapping and can process $EOL$ as new line to be more
    WYSIWYG.
 10.One file output documentation (RTF) has topics ordered structurally not alphabetically.
    They appear in the same order as in structured table of contents.
 11.Help for VBdocman is context-sensitive.
 12.During every compilation a new line was added to the hidden Description attribute. The
    bug is fixed.
 13.There was a wrong output if the return type of method was array. The bug is fixed.
 14.If the variable was declared using "New" keyword (e.g. private x as New MyClass),
    the "New" appeared also in documentation. The bug is fixed.
 15.Info for context-sensitive help was not written properly into source code in v2.1.
    The bug is fixed.
 16.Other small "cosmetic" changes.

In version 2.1
 1. The user-friendly comment editor is added.
 2. Templates for structured table of contents are added. That means that in the contents
    every form and object item contains sub-items for methods, properties and events.
 3. There is a possibility to select template folder.
 4. The progress is shown during compilation.
 5. Member description from its comment is automatically added to Description attribute, as
    thought it was added using Tools -> Procedure Attributes menu from IDE. This allows
    the description to appear in Properties window and Object Browser as well.
 6. Macros for source code, declaration and scope are added.
 7. The start-up problem with non-english VB IDEs should be fixed. Tested with german 
    version.
 8. The problem with executing temporary batch file during compilation on WinNT is fixed.
 9. Outline level of H1 style in RTF templates is corrected to value 1.


In version 2.0
 1. New comment tags are added: @author, @revision and @version.
 2. User can define up to 5 own comment tags.
 3. The program processes also private variables and constants now.
 4. External declarations are supported.
 5. "End of line" macro is added and can be used directly in comments to 
    invoke new line in generated documentation.
 6. Text on the title page of generated documentation can be edited directly
    from VBdocman dialog.
 7. There are two modes of processing indents in comments. VBdocman comments
    indentation can be ignored now.
 8. VBdocman appears also as an icon on standard toolbar in VB IDE.
 9. After compiling the documentation user can easily show it by pressing
    newly added button.
 10.ParamArray argument is processed correctly.
 11.When there is only Get property (no Let or Set exists), data type of this
    property was not reported. Therefore "Returns" section is added for property.
 12.Properties with multiple arguments are processed correctly.
 13.Title for Properties link in some templates, which was misspelled is corrected.
 14.Switching to other application when compilation dialog was shown caused that it was 
    impossible to return back without minimizing all other applications. This bug is
    fixed.
 15.A space is added before "Default" word in automatic text in @param section.
 16.When nothing goes to compilation (empty documentation is generated),
    the compilation is finished correctly.
 17.When compiling HTML documentation, some files were not overwritten, if
    their older versions existed in the output directory. This bug is fixed.
 18.HTML documentation does not report "Cannot load class ..." when viewed from
    web server.
 19.The problem with executing the temporary batch file during compilation on
    some systems is fixed.
 20.Many limitations are removed from the trial version.

In version 1.1
 1. VBdocman should automatically appear in Add-Ins list under all logins. There is
    no need to write into registry for every user.
 2. VBdocman main dialog is modal now.
 3. When first opening the main dialog, output path displayed in directory view was
    not the same as last saved. The bug is fixed.
 4. When VB project contained some special files (in Related Documents there was a 
    file other than resource e.g. DLL), an access violation error occurred when
    attempting to load VBdocman. The bug is fixed.
 5. When statement in source code was broken into multiple lines, in very special
    cases VBdocman parsed definitions not properly. The bug is fixed.
 6. In some cases, when names of method arguments contained keywords as Optional,
    ByRef, ByVal and others, VBdocman parsed definitions not properly. The bug is 
    fixed.
 7. When logged without proper access rights, there was an access denied error during
    compilation because the system attempted to write some temporary files. The bug is 
    fixed.
 8. The 5-second countdown in trial version is removed.


8. CONTACT

Author: HELIXOFT (Peter Macej)
E-mail: peter@vbdocman.com
        peter@helixoft.com
Home page and registration information: http://www.vbdocman.com