Convert MSHC to HXL

Understanding the mshc and hxl file formats

MSHC (Microsoft Help Container) files are used to package and deliver help documentation for Microsoft applications, especially in the context of Visual Studio Help Viewer. These files are essentially containers for compiled help content, including HTML, images, and metadata.

HXL (Humanitarian Exchange Language) files are structured data files used for sharing humanitarian data. HXL is a simple standard for adding hashtags to spreadsheet data, making it easier to process and share information in humanitarian contexts.

Why convert mshc to hxl?

Converting MSHC files to HXL format is not a common or direct process, as these formats serve very different purposes. However, if you need to extract tabular or structured data from help documentation for use in humanitarian data workflows, you may need to convert the content from MSHC to HXL.

How to convert mshc to hxl

There is no direct converter for MSHC to HXL. The process involves several steps:

1. Extract content from MSHC: Use a tool like Helpware FAR or 7-Zip to extract the contents of the MSHC file. You will typically get HTML files and resources.
2. Identify and export data: Open the relevant HTML files and copy the tabular or structured data you need. You may use a spreadsheet application like Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc to paste and organize this data.
3. Apply HXL hashtags: Add HXL hashtags as the first row in your spreadsheet, following the HXL standard (e.g., #country, #date, #affected).
4. Save as CSV: In your spreadsheet application, go to File → Save As and choose CSV format.
5. Rename to .hxl: Change the file extension from .csv to .hxl to indicate it contains HXL-tagged data.

Recommended software for conversion

• Helpware FAR – For extracting content from MSHC files.
• 7-Zip – For unpacking MSHC containers.
• Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc – For organizing data and applying HXL hashtags.

Summary

While there is no direct MSHC to HXL converter, you can manually extract and structure data from MSHC help files and format it as HXL using spreadsheet software. This process is best suited for cases where you need to repurpose help documentation data for humanitarian data exchange.