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jswtp
jswtp
Participant
August 14, 2017
Answered

Calling CSH Multiscreen HTML5 help file from C++ API

  • August 14, 2017
  • 1 reply
  • 1400 views

We have a C++ desktop application requiring context-sensitive help.  We have been using the RoboHelp WebHelp format for years; now we are migrating to the newer Multiscreen HTML5 help, using the Desktop profile only.

1) Is it possible to do this?  Can a C++ desktop application call context-sensitive help using the Multiscreen HTML5 format?

2) If so, how do we call the Multiscreen HTML5 help file from the C++ API?  We have been using the RH_ShowHelp API call in the C++ code provided with RoboHelp, but this call does not work with our Multiscreen HTML5 file.  The RH_ShowHelp method seems to work by appending “#<id=XXXX” (where XXXX is the Map ID) to the HTML file name we call, but this does not produce a pop-up help topic using the Multiscreen HTML5, as it does using the WebHelp file.

3) Do we need to do anything special when generating the Multiscreen HTML5 help file to make it work from the C++ interface?

4) Is there another C++ API method we should be using?  The available APIs in the C++ interface are:

RH_ShowHelp

RH_AssociateOfflineHelp

RH_AssociateQuickStart

RH_RegisterTopicBrowser

RH_UnregisterTopicBrowser

RH_AIR_ShowHelp

RH_OpenHelpTopic

I found this forum post, API for calling responsive/multiscreen help , but it references only a JavaScript API, and suggests that maybe the C++ API was not updated.

Thank you very much for any information you can provide!

Jim Whitehead

Principal Software Developer

IMCS - Abacus Technology Corp.

Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899                           

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer jswtp

Thank you, Amebr.  I follwed your link to this Adobe manual (http://help.adobe.com/en_US/robohelp/2015/robohtml/robohelp_help.pdf ) which suggests (on page 343) that what we are doing should work with the Responsive format, and that we are using the correct API call (RH_ShowHelp).

Thank you also, Rick, for the updated link to Willam van Weelden's article.  It looks like a different API than we have available in C++, and the references to localhost in the HTTP address suggest the use of a local web server that we do not have. So, I don't think it applies to us.

Thank you, also, Peter.  Using the actual file names (direct URLs) with hundreds of CSH help topics would be an inordinate amount of extra work for us, so we strongly prefer to use the Map IDs.

What we are doing works great with our old WebHelp files; and it works great if we switch our new files back to WebHelp format; but it does not work with the Responsive format.  It seems as if the Responsive format is not working the way it should be with the documented API calls.

On page 330 of the PDF document referenced above, I found references to WebHelp and merged WebHelp* (along with a reference to your website, Peter :-)). Perhaps  the documented methods work only with the WebHelp format?

* "From page 330 of http://help.adobe.com/en_US/robohelp/2015/robohtml/robohelp_help.pdf :On the Authoring home page of Peter Grainge’s website, you can find information about four methods of calling WebHelp:

...

• Using map IDs in merged WebHelp"

Thank you again!

Jim


From our testing, it appears the new HTML5 Responsive format and Multiscreen formats are incompatible with the RoboHelp C++ API and the .NET API provided by Adobe.  Only the WebHelp format works with these native Windows application APIs.  Please correct me if I am missing something here, and I will unmark this answer as correct.

[There also seems to be a bug in recent versions of the RoboHelp C++ API that prevents the display of multiple CSH help topics during a single calling program invocation.  Each time you close the calling program and then restart it, you can display one CSH help topic.  We are able to work around this bug by using an earlier version of the RoboHelp C++ API that we have modified and corrected.]

Thank you again!

Jim

1 reply

Captiv8r
Captiv8r
Legend
August 14, 2017

Hi there

Point of curiosity. Why Multiscreen? Why not opt instead for Responsive HTML5?

After all, Adobe is highly unlikely to do anything further with Multiscreen and Responsive HTML 5 is likely where all future development will be for the foreseeable future.

I hate to see folks paint themselves into corners.

Cheers... Rick

Peter Grainge
Community Expert
Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 15, 2017

I agree entirely with Rick that Responsive is where Adobe are progressing things so you will see new layouts as time progresses. Multiscreen was good if you wanted to choose entirely different layouts for each device but it wasn't as popular so responsive is the way to go. With that, each layout morphs for each device, there is no further configuration. There's more on my site and in the RoboHelp Tour that you can access from there.

I can't help you much with calling this form of help. There is information on Willam van Weelden's site and my pages on calling help have links to that.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring information

@petergrainge

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jswtp
jswtpAuthor
Participant
August 16, 2017

Thank you, Peter and Rick.  Based on your advice, we will go with the Responsive format.

But we are left with the same question: How do we call it from the C++ API?  The links to Willam van Weelden's web site are now all broken, but I seem to recall from those pages an emphasis on the JavaScript API...

Any other ideas on how to call Responsive CSH from the C++ API?

Thank you!

Jim

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