Generate help file during build rather than as a separate CI step

.github/workflows/docs.yml

@@ -9,9 +9,6 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - main
-  pull_request: # Temporary just for test
-    branches:
-      - main
 
 jobs:
   generate:
@@ -26,17 +23,16 @@ jobs:
           python-version: "3.9"
           activate-environment: true
 
-      # We still need to install pywin32 because
-      # AutoDuck/py2d.py currently relies on runtime imports for introspection
-      # Downloading latest release is faster than re-building
+      # We install pywin32's latest release just to avoid re-building
+      # We could instead try to use a GitHub artifact
       - name: Install latest release
         run: uv pip install --upgrade pywin32
 
-      - name: Generate PyWin32.chm help file
-        run: python AutoDuck/make.py
+      - name: Set Python user site directory
+        run: python -c "import os,site; open(os.environ['GITHUB_ENV'], 'a').write(f'USER_DIR={site.USER_SITE}\n')"
 
-      - name: Decompile help file into HTML
-        run: hh -decompile site PyWin32.chm
+      - name: Decompile shipped help file into HTML
+        run: hh -decompile site ${env:USER_DIR}\PyWin32.chm
 
       - name: Rename root HTML file
         run: mv site\PyWin32.HTML site\index.html

.github/workflows/main.yml

@@ -54,13 +54,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build and install
         run: pip install . -v --user
 
-      # This needs to happen *after* installing pywin32 since
-      # AutoDuck/py2d.py currently relies on runtime imports for introspection
-      # This isn't included in the wheel (TODO: could we?)
-      # and only serves as a PR test for the docs.yaml workflow
-      - name: Generate PyWin32.chm help file
-        run: python AutoDuck/make.py
-
       # Smokescreen test to validate postinstall doesn't crash, dlls can be found, and both pathless invocation methods work
       - name: Run postinstall install/remove
         run: |

setup.py

@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@
 import platform
 import re
 import shutil
+import subprocess
 import sys
+import sysconfig
 import winreg
 from collections.abc import Iterable, MutableSequence
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -503,6 +505,59 @@ def _build_scintilla(self):
             os.path.join(self.build_lib, "pythonwin"),
         )
 
+    def _build_helpfile(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Since AutoDuck/py2d.py relies on import,
+        this must be done after all extensions are built,
+        and we can't build a helpfile when cross-compiling.
+
+        We can't just add to sys.path to point to the build folder,
+        because this uses subprocesses,
+        so we create a temporary .pth file instead.
+        """
+        if self.plat_name != sysconfig.get_platform():
+            return
+
+        build_lib_absolute = os.path.abspath(self.build_lib)
+        tmp_pywin32_build_pth = (
+            Path(sysconfig.get_paths()["platlib"]) / "tmp_pywin32_build.pth"
+        )
+
+        # Delete the previous helpfile to ensure that this build worked
+        Path("PyWin32.chm").unlink(missing_ok=True)
+
+        # Create the temporary .pth file
+        with open("pywin32.pth") as path_file:
+            # Copy paths from pywin32.pth and expand them to absolute paths
+            paths = [
+                (
+                    path.strip()
+                    # support the "import pywin32_bootstrap" hack
+                    if path.startswith("import ")
+                    else os.path.join(build_lib_absolute, path.strip())
+                )
+                for path in path_file.readlines()
+                if not path.startswith("#")
+            ] + [
+                # Add the build folder to python path
+                build_lib_absolute,
+                # For pythoncom.py, since it doesn't get added to the build folder
+                os.path.abspath("com"),
+            ]
+            print("paths:", paths)
+            print("build_lib_absolute:", build_lib_absolute)
+            print("tmp_pywin32_build_pth:", tmp_pywin32_build_pth)
+        (Path(build_lib_absolute) / "tmp_pywin32_build.pth").write_text(
+            "\n".join(paths)
+        )
+        tmp_pywin32_build_pth.write_text("\n".join(paths))
+
+        # Actually generate the helpfile
+        subprocess.run((sys.executable, "AutoDuck/make.py"), check=True)
+
+        # Cleanup
+        tmp_pywin32_build_pth.unlink()
+
     # find the VC base path corresponding to distutils paths, and
     # potentially upgrade for extra include / lib paths (MFC)
     def _check_vc(self):
@@ -666,6 +721,8 @@ def build_extensions(self):
         for mfc_content in mfc_contents:
             self.copy_file(mfc_content, target_dir)
 
+        self._build_helpfile()
+
     def build_exefile(self, ext):
         suffix = "_d" if self.debug else ""
         logging.info("building exe '%s'", ext.name)
@@ -1912,20 +1969,6 @@ def convert_data_files(files: Iterable[str]):
     return ret
 
 
-def convert_optional_data_files(files):
-    ret = []
-    for file in files:
-        try:
-            temp = convert_data_files([file])
-        except RuntimeError as details:
-            if not str(details.args[0]).startswith("No file"):
-                raise
-            logging.info("NOTE: Optional file %s not found - skipping", file)
-        else:
-            ret.append(temp[0])
-    return ret
-
-
 ################################################################
 if len(sys.argv) == 1:
     # distutils will print usage - print our docstring first.
@@ -1997,6 +2040,12 @@ def convert_optional_data_files(files):
     "Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPython",
 ]
 
+is_cross_compiling = any(
+    not argument.endswith(sysconfig.get_platform())
+    for argument in sys.argv
+    if argument.startswith("--plat-name=")
+)
+
 dist = setup(
     name="pywin32",
     version=build_id,
@@ -2043,8 +2092,7 @@ def convert_optional_data_files(files):
     },
     packages=packages,
     py_modules=py_modules,
-    data_files=convert_optional_data_files(["PyWin32.chm"])
-    + convert_data_files(
+    data_files=convert_data_files(
         [
             "Pythonwin/start_pythonwin.pyw",
             "pythonwin/pywin/*.cfg",
@@ -2129,7 +2177,10 @@ def convert_optional_data_files(files):
         # Note we don't get an auto .pyc - but who cares?
         ("", ("com/pythoncom.py",)),
         ("", ("pywin32.pth",)),
-    ],
+    ]
+    + [("", ("PyWin32.chm",))]
+    if not is_cross_compiling
+    else [],
 )
 
 # If we did any extension building, and report if we skipped any.

win32/Lib/pywin32_bootstrap.py

@@ -9,8 +9,11 @@
 try:
     import pywin32_system32
 except ImportError:  # Python ≥3.6: replace ImportError with ModuleNotFoundError
+    print("pywin32_system32 import failed")
     pass
 else:
+    print("pywin32_system32 import success")
+
     import os
 
     # We're guaranteed only that __path__: Iterable[str]

win32/scripts/pywin32_postinstall.py

@@ -239,7 +239,10 @@ def RegisterHelpFile(register=True, lib_dir=None):
             SetPyKeyVal("Help\\Pythonwin Reference", None, chm_file)
             return chm_file
         else:
-            print("NOTE: PyWin32.chm can not be located, so has not been registered")
+            print(
+                "NOTE: PyWin32.chm can not be located, so has not been registered. "
+                + "This is expected if the wheel was cross-compiled."
+            )
     else:
         UnsetPyKeyVal("Help\\Pythonwin Reference", None, delete_key=True)
     return None