Best way to index CHM files with Spotlight

[micsaund]

Hi,

I've got some ebooks in chm format and noticed that Spotlight (10.5) doesn't index them.

I found one guys python hack to enable chm indexing but wanted to ask here and see if there was a more "standardized" plugin/program/setting I can make to cause Spotlight to slurp-in my chm files.

Thanks,
Mike

[heatmiser]

I'd be interested for ways in general to get Leopard Spotlight to behave like Tiger Spotlight. There are too many things the new S doesn't index, and the general search function in Leopard isn't as user-friendly as it was in Tiger.

However, to be helpful to your query, this thread suggests "Houdaspot" might be of use:
http://macapper.com/forums/showthread.php?t=611

[micsaund]

Thanks Heat. I had actually run across that same link prior to posting here, but it seems silly to have to buy an add-on program to do something so simple with Spotlight. Additionally, I like the simplicity of Spotlight and adding a program that arguably has many more "neat features" is probably just additional complexity I don't need.

Maybe I'll just have to try that python hack. It doesn't seem that MR is brimming with answers to this question, which I find surprising since chm files are pretty common and it seems that there's always some MR user who has the perfect "hidden gem" for getting things like this done.

Mike

[wrldwzrd89]

There's a handy program for viewing CHM files called Chmox (http://chmox.sourceforge.net/). Alas, it doesn't come with a Spotlight plugin for indexing...

That said, I am a programmer, I might just take it upon myself to write one and contribute it to the Chmox project. I'd love to learn how to write Spotlight plugins.

[micsaund]

Yeah, chmox works well and it seems there's probably existing code in that tool which can be used to index chm files, but since I know nothing about Spotlight, I can't say for sure.

BTW, if anyone uses chmox and doesn't have the Universal version (beta), make sure to get that - it's WAY faster starting-up than the PPC-only version.

Mike

[idrise]

3 Tools, Quicklook, Viewer and Spotlight integration (http://fallinggracefully.blogspot.com/2008/03/chm-support-for-osx-quicklook-and.html)

Dave