WebHelp - Executing a search using URL parameters

[OL-Lachance]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to figure out how to execute a search in a WebHelp output by calling it from the URL, just like I do with map IDs. Basically, I'd like to do something like this:

http://www.myserver.com/help/robohelp/index.htm?search=mysearchterm

Or any variant. I've tried searching the help files and the internet but can't find out how to do this.

Any idea?

[Captiv8r]

While I'm sure there is probably a way to make it happen, I can't recall ever seeing anyone post a way to do it.

If anyone knows, it would be Willam.

Tap tap tap... Hellooooo, Willam. Willam, are you there?

Cheers... Rick

[Willam_van_Weelden]

Who's there?

This requires some output file hacking. I have never attempted this before, but I'm sure it can be done given enough effort

Basically, it involves the following:

- Amend the CSH sniffer to include your search capabilities.

- Modify the CSH call to call the search pane and automatically start a search.

I think this is quite a project to get this done in WebHelp. I'll look into it in more detail. Please bear with me.

Greet,

Willam

[Peter Grainge]

I'm curious to know why you would want a search that is outside Rh?

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@petergrainge

[OL-Lachance]

Peter, it's the other way around. I'd like to search within RH from the outside.

In reality, the only thing I want to have is highlighting. The thing is, our help files will not be integrated within the software we're building and are actually just hosted on the web, and the user, hitting F1 or a Help button, will have his default browser open to the corresponding page. However, we do have access to quite a bit of information from the software, in a format that we can still change before release. At the moment, here's what we're planning:

http://help.objectiflune.com/<lang>/<product>/index.htm#<module>_<dialog>.htm

But we have one further bit of information that I'd love to use: <control>. Basically when someone uses the (?) button and clicks on a control, or if the user has an option active (clicked) when hitting F1, we can get the name of that control (checkbox, radio, button, input box, etc). What I would have liked to do is to highlight that control on the page. So technically I don't actually need search, I need highlighting. Oops, should have made that clearer (but I was avoiding a wall of text).

Note that I will be using WebHelp Pro with RoboHelp Server 9, as soon as we can set that in place, if that changes anything.

[Peter Grainge]

I think we mean the same thing. You start the search outside Rh and it then searches what is in Rh. I think there may be a way to do that but isn't the real requirement, regardless of search or highlighting, that when the user presses F1 or clicks an icon in your software, the help opens to the relevant page of the help?

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[OL-Lachance]

Yes, but as I mentionned that's already covered. My focus right now is to see if I can get highlighting done (ignore the search I guess).

[Willam_van_Weelden]

That might make it considerably easier.

Thanks for jumping in Peter. This might just save a lot of work.

Greet,

Willam

[Peter Grainge]

To help you I need to understand the workflow. So the user is in your software and presses F1 or an icon. You are saying you have a means to open the help at the right page so what is it you want highlighted. At this point all the user has done is press F1 or an icon, no search term has been entered so what would be highlighted?

Is it that as Willam has suggested that when the user presses for help, they then enter a search term? If it is, then I can suggest a means of achieving what you want using a low cost third party tool.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[OL-Lachance]

The highlight would be the name of the control that the user had selected in the software. So, for example, if I have a dialog that has two input boxes and a button, if the user had the first input box selected and hit F1, I would get the name of that dialog, as well as the name of the input box. The way we're writing the documentation in Robohelp, we'll have all the HTML pages named after the dialog names, and the control names probably identified with an anchor tag of some sort. So, when the software sends the help call, we get all of this and can use it to get to the right page, and to the right control on that page.

[Peter Grainge]

OK what I had in mind is not what you want.

Back to you Willam? Any ideas on this.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Willam_van_Weelden]

Hi,

I think the following does what you require: You parse a word with the URL parameter search. The topic will then use the default search highlighting of all occurences in that topic. (Note that the script checks the topic's URL as well as the skin URL.) You can paste the script in a master page or in a separate file. The way it is set up, only place it last in the document though.

<script type="text/javascript">

var gup = function( name, url ) {

    var results = (new RegExp("[\\?&]"+name+"=([^&#]*)")).exec(url);

    if ( results == null ) {return ""}

    else {return results[1]}

};

var searchhighlight = gup("search", window.location.href);

if(searchhighlight == "") { searchhighlight = gup("search", top.window.location.href);}

if(searchhighlight != "") {

          setHighlightSearch = true;

          StartHighLightSearch(searchhighlight);

}

</script>

Call using:

http://www.example.com/topics/topic.htm?search=mysearchterm

Greet,

Willam