Steve's patch, modified by Richard, to sort out the modality of the help window, fixes bug 747.

src/widgets/HelpSystem.cpp

@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@ void HelpSystem::ShowInfoDialog( wxWindow *parent,
 void HelpSystem::ShowHtmlText(wxWindow *pParent,
                   const wxString &Title,
                   const wxString &HtmlText,
-                  bool bIsFile = false, bool bModal = false)
+                  bool bIsFile,
+                  bool bModal)
 {
    LinkingHtmlWindow *html;
 
@@ -172,7 +173,8 @@ void HelpSystem::ShowHtmlText(wxWindow *pParent,
 
 void HelpSystem::ShowHelpDialog(wxWindow *parent,
                     const wxString &localFileName,
-                    const wxString &remoteURL)
+                    const wxString &remoteURL,
+                    bool bModal)
 {
    AudacityProject * pProj = GetActiveProject();
    wxString HelpMode = wxT("Local");
@@ -209,10 +211,9 @@ void HelpSystem::ShowHelpDialog(wxWindow *parent,
       wxASSERT( !remoteURL.IsEmpty() );
       // I can't find it'.
       // Use Built-in browser to suggest you use the remote url.
-//use the remote link
       wxString Text = HelpText( wxT("remotehelp") );
       Text.Replace( wxT("*URL*"), remoteURL );
-      ShowHtmlText( parent, _("Help on the Internet"), Text );
+      ShowHtmlText( parent, _("Help on the Internet"), Text, false, bModal );
    }
    else if( HelpMode == wxT("Local") )
    {
@@ -222,11 +223,13 @@ void HelpSystem::ShowHelpDialog(wxWindow *parent,
    else
    {
       // Local file, Built-in browser
-      ShowHtmlText( parent, wxT(""), localFileName, true );
+      ShowHtmlText( parent, wxT(""), localFileName, true, bModal );
    }
 }
 
-void HelpSystem::ShowHelpDialog(wxWindow *parent, const wxString &PageName)
+void HelpSystem::ShowHelpDialog(wxWindow *parent,
+                                const wxString &PageName,
+                                bool bModal)
 {
    wxString localHelpPage;
    wxString webHelpPage;
@@ -274,5 +277,6 @@ void HelpSystem::ShowHelpDialog(wxWindow *parent, const wxString &PageName)
    HelpSystem::ShowHelpDialog(
       parent, 
       localHelpPage,
-      webHelpPage);
+      webHelpPage,
+      bModal);
 }

src/widgets/HelpSystem.h

@@ -36,10 +36,17 @@ public:
                      const int xSize, const int ySize);
 
    /// Displays a new window with wxHTML help.
+   /// @param HtmlText Either the literal HTML code to go into the window,
+   /// or the name of the file to read said HTML code from (see below).
+   /// @param bIsFile If true, treat HtmlText argument as a file name, if false
+   /// (default), then it is the HTML code to display.
+   /// @param bModal Whether the resulting window should be modal or not.
+   /// Default is modeless dialogue
    static void ShowHtmlText( wxWindow * pParent, 
                    const wxString &Title,
                    const wxString &HtmlText,
-                   bool bIsFile, bool bModal);
+                   bool bIsFile = false,
+                   bool bModal = false);
 
    /// Displays a file in your browser, if it's available locally,
    /// OR else links to the internet. Generally using this outside this class
@@ -48,17 +55,23 @@ public:
    /// @param localFileName Name and path of the file on the local machine
    /// file system to be opened. file.name#anchor syntax is allowed, and therefore
    /// file names containing a '#' are not (on any platform).
+   /// @param bModal Whether the resulting dialogue should be modal or not.
+   /// Default is modeless dialogue
    static void ShowHelpDialog(wxWindow *parent,
                      const wxString &localFileName,
-                     const wxString &remoteURL);
+                     const wxString &remoteURL,
+                     bool bModal = false);
 
    /// Displays a page from the Audacity manual  in your browser, if
    /// it's available locally, OR else links to the internet.
    /// @param PageName The name of the manual page to display as it is in
    /// _development version_ of the manual (i.e. in MediaWiki), _not_ the
-   /// converted file name used for offline and released manuals
+   /// converted file name used for offline and released manuals.
+   /// @param bModal Whether the resulting dialogue should be modal or not.
+   /// Default is modeless dialogue
    static void ShowHelpDialog(wxWindow *parent,
-                     const wxString &PageName);
+                     const wxString &PageName,
+                     bool bModal = false);
 
    /// Hostname (domain name including subdomain) of the server on which the
    /// online help is available