Inspiring

Question

Controlling window size and positioning in RH8 WebHelp

Forum|Forum|16 years ago
November 9, 2009
1 reply
692 views

Evening all,

I've seen a post before about controlling the size and/or positioning or RH WebHelp windows, but I haven't been able to find it again.

I'm generating WebHelp in RH8 and at this point am using the default skin and whatever default tri-pane and CSH windows RH chooses to use.

Question is: how do I control the size and position of these windows? Or can I?

I suspect they're set in a .js, but don't know which one. I know I can create new windows, and if I recall correctly, I can make one for CSH and one for the classic tri-pane help display. Is this how folks typically control the windows used to display RH content? Or do they muck about in the original .js files?

Or, and this is the more likely, am I just being too anal-retentive about this and I should just let RH do its default thing and not worry about it?

Thanks - I'm just a bit confused here,

Patrick

HTML

This topic has been closed for replies.

Captiv8r

Legend

Hi Patrick

If you aren't working with a programmer to connect your WebHelp to an application, you really don't have much control over the placement and attributes that are used.

Note that when you create a project in RoboHelp HTML, you have an ability to create a WebHelp window with the desired attributes. But really, all that does is configure the way a window will open if you are using something called the "WebHelp API" to open topics. As you stated earlier, JavaScript is actually used by the API to open the window.

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

J

James_K__PatrickAuthor

Inspiring

Rick,

Thanks for the quick reply.

Yes, I'm working with a developer.We've implemented a field-level CSH help solution using the WebHelp API for the first go-round.

Now we're working on integrating the existing CSH help with the classic tri-pane help UI. And it's one of my jobs to write the specification for how/when/where/why the help displays.

So perhaps I AM being too anal-retentive and should ask a more general question to start with:

When you've got both CSH content (called by the API and displayed in a plain-jane, no controls window) as well as a full blown task-based help system displaying in the classic tri-pane UI, how do folks integrate these two?

When the CSH is called, do they just let the user click the "Show" link to display the tri-pane UI?

Or do they make a new window for CSH that mimics the tri-pane UI so the user has the same UI experience regardless of the method used to access help?

Just trying to come up with some reasonable ideas here to base my wireframe on.

Thanks,

Patrick

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

We always open CSH in the tri-pane window so that the user gets the help they need but can see it in the context of the whole screen / product.

Our oldest product has CSH for every field and screen. The help menu offer open the help at the default topic, the current screen or the current field. There is a topic for every field, that has a link to the screen help, that has a link to the module help and that has a link to the default topic.

For later products, we don't write separate topics for each field. Instead the user is taken to screen level help but that has a table with information about each field. That way while they are reading about the field they enquired about, they get to see information about other fields and the whole screen. Feedback suggest it is better for users and it is certainly better for us. Win win.

You refer to a window that "mimics" the tri-pane. We just open the help with the tri-pane so no mimicking involved.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

Follow me @petergrainge

Use the menu (bottom right) to mark the Best Answer or Highlight particularly useful replies. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here.

Sign up

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Sign in to Adobe Community

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded