Context Sensitive help using icon

[redwritergirl]

I am creating HTML help for an application. Is there a way to have the map ids associated to an icon on a screen in the application that is clickable to launch the help topic for that screen versus having to hit the F1 key? I am able to do this when I create Web Help.

We are not going to be documenting every screen right now so a help icon would be helpful to identify areas in the application that offer online help. We don't want to place a static image that is not going to launch the topic.

Is there a  way to do this? Also what is the standard for Microsoft help?

Diana

[Amebr]

Assuming your developers add an icon or button to individual screens, they should be able to code it to work just like a Help button, which Microsoft uses in dialog boxes.

Alternatively there is the little question mark in the title bar, although I'm not sure if that can be coded per screen, or if it has to be turned on for the application as a whole.

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Isn't the question mark in the title bar normally used for What's This? help?

I agree that if that could be hijacked it would make for a convenient location.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 within the day - $24.95! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcerStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[redwritergirl]

Hi rick, we have the icon, that's not an issue. I'm just asking that if the developer adds the icon to the screen, can the map id be mapped to that so that it's clickable to launch the topic?

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

As Amber said, it's up to the developer. Sure, with CSH you can map anything with an identifier to a topic. So it's the job of the developer to figure out what exactly that identifier is.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 within the day - $24.95! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcerStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[redwritergirl]

Ok thanks. That's what I thought. I have a developer claiming it can't be done.

[redwritergirl]

Hi there, thanks for your response. When you mention the help icon in the title bar, where exactly are you referring to?

Do you know what the "standard" is for windows Help? Would it be nonconventional to have a help icon on main screens? We don't want to do field level help as that is tedious and we don't want a zillion help icons everywhere. Since we're not documenting help for each field/screen yet, we didn't want to just use F1 help with no indicator for user's to know which tab/screens offer help and which do not.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. We are not wanting to break the standard for windows help, however I feel we need to indicate to the user somehow that help is available for certain tabs/screens.

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Try this. Open Windows Paint (Start > Run > Type Mspaint and press Enter) or Windows Notepad. In either of these applications click File > Save As and look at the dialog you get.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 within the day - $24.95! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcerStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[redwritergirl]

Mine actually didn't show the help icon...but I see what you are showing. That if we put a standard help icon on a tab or screen that would be conventional. Thanks. I just have a very stubborn developer who doesn't want to do this for whatever reason.