How does CS Help work, really?

[Guest]

Hi -- I'm fairly new to RH and I want to deliver a topic map to developers so they can implement CS Help links to my files. I created the map, and expected to see some targets in my HTML files, but no, I see no evidence that anything has changed in the HTML. I see two files that are relevant...  the .h file which sets up #defined integers, and the alias file which maps the strings for the #defines to actual html files.  But I don't see anything that indicates the developers will access my HTML if they use my topic map.

I really don't want to close my eyes, pray, and send the topic map to the developers...  I would like to *see* something in my project that indicates the map will have some effect when the developers use it.  Can anybody tell me where to look to understand what's going on?

Thanks much!!!              cud

PS

I already have a map file -- I'm not asking how to make topics.  What I'm asking for is proof that my topic map does anything.

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi cud and welcome to the RH community.

An explanation of CSH can be found here.

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[Guest]

Hi Colum...

Thanks for this article...  Actually, I have already gone this far.  What i don't understand is this.  Assuming a valid map and alias file, then the developer creates a link that calls...  what???  And that call looks at what -- the alias file?  Somehow the call maps a number to a map token (the logical name of the ID).  The alias file maps the token to an HTML file.

So are the .h and .als files part of my HTML deliverable, and RoboHelp includes some javascript that inspects these files to respond to a CS Help call?  I expected a more reasonable mechanism like #MyCS_HELP_TOKEN to be injected into the HTML.  That way the developers can just use any sort of a call they know how to use, and go straight to an URL.  But I'm pretty sure that's not what happens.

I just want to be sure that when I hand off a CS Help map, the developers have all they need.  And when I deploy the help system, it has all the files it needs to respond to CS Help.

Thanks          cud

[RoboColum_n_]

Can I check what type of output you are generating (e.g. CHM, webhelp) as the next step depends on the answer.

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[Guest]

Well, for now I'm just doing Web Help...  a pile of HTML files that I can deliver as a system that works.

[RoboColum_n_]

With webhelp you have a number of options of which using a map file is only one. Click here for further info.

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