How can I build context sensitive help using URLs?

Hi there

Here's the deal. When you open the help generically, you use a URL that looks something like this:

http://www.showmesolutions.biz/HelpExamples/WebHelp/index.htm

That's the start page for a RoboHelp output. Regardless of the topic that is presented in the window, the way WebHelp works is to present the same URL in the address bar.

To determine the exact URL of an individual topic, open the topic and right-click it. Choose an option on the context menu that will reveal the topic or page information. This should lead you to discover the actual URL that points to the topic itself. It may look something like this:

http://www.showmesolutions.biz/HelpExamples/WebHelp/New_Folder/Second_Topic.htm

If you have generated the WebHelp using the option "Show Navigation Pane Link In Topics", this should present a link that could be clicked to present the full WebHelp frameset with the desired topic in view.

And here is the topic in the full WebHelp frameset

So at this point you have a decision to make.

Do I want the context sensitive call to present the user with only the topic? If so, just note the URL you recorded that leads to the topic.

Or do I want the context sensitive call to present the full WebHelp frameset with the proper topic loaded? If that's what you want, you will need to present the topic, then click the Show link, then note the URL that is presented in the address bar of the browser. It will typically look something like this:

http://www.showmesolutions.biz/HelpExamples/WebHelp/index.htm#New_Folder/Second_Topic.htm

Note the path one would normally see to open the help has now been appended to with the #New_Folder/Second_Topic.htm

Hope this helps a bit... Rick