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Known Participant
June 18, 2008
Question

Navigation Pane

  • June 18, 2008
  • 2 replies
  • 593 views
We are trying to work around the map file to link in an application. To do this we would like the navigation pane to open when a direct page is pulled in the browser. Is there a simple way this can be done?

Example: One of my topics is called suspensions.html I would like to be able to directly link to suspensions.html inside the application and when the page is displayed it also pulls the navigation pane with it. I know I can place a javascript in to accomplish this but I don’t want to have to do that for each page every time I publish.
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2 replies

Inspiring
June 19, 2008
Hello jtncarter -

Having files in folders is not the problem - location of the folders and path linked from the app may be your problem.

Place your generated Help in a second level folder under the app (root) such as:

(root)/
(root/help/
(root)/help/topic/

Then have the app call:

../help/(yourstartpage).htm(yourtopicappendmethod)

If, as you replied, you are calling "Desktop\help\!SSL!\webhelp\help.htm#path\inspections\viewing_inspections.htm" it will never work because you are calling a file that exists only on your workstation desktop.

Regards,
GEWB
jtncarterAuthor
Known Participant
June 19, 2008
I guess yesterday was just not my best day.

Thanks but until I learn the difference between a ( \ ) and a ( / ) nothing is going to work.

After I changed everything to ( / ) it worked fine. Thanks for your help.

Inspiring
June 18, 2008
Hello jtncarter -

Do you call the Help from within the app? How?

We use a Help icon or hot key that tied to a JavaScript that reads the app "main" frame and passes that to the compiled Help startup html file - no "typical" App-to-RoboHelp map file involved. The JS is part of the app not the Help - I have nothing to do with it other than STRICT file naming to follow the app.

Using your post, we would have:

Application screen with Help button (calls Help): ../suspension/suspension.htm
Help calls to: ../help/startpage.htm
Help topic appended to call: ../help/suspension/suspension.htm

When in the app, on the "Suspension" screen, click the Help icon to launch context help for "Suspensions" along with the navigation pane.

Hope that help.

Regards,
GEWB
jtncarterAuthor
Known Participant
June 18, 2008
Yes its a big help. The problem is I have files in folders and that is creating a problem.

I have it linked in the application we are developing as...

Desktop\help\!SSL!\webhelp\help.htm#path\inspections\viewing_inspections.htm

The TOC pulls but I get a "page cannot be displayed" for the viewing_inspections.htm