How do I create a map ID to an external link using RoboHelp 5?

[shriya297]

I work on RoboHelp 5.0 to create JavaHelp files that are intergrated with a Netbeans application. I have been asked to add the following references the <appname>Help_map.xml file: 

•    <mapID target="org.netbeans.core.windows.options.WinSysOptionsPanelController" url="Options.htm" /> 
•    <mapID target="netbeans.optionsDialog.general" url="Options.htm" /> 

However, I am not sure how to go about doing this. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Following is how the _map.xml file looks when opened in notepad++

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='ISO-8859-1' ?>

<!DOCTYPE map PUBLIC "-//Sun Microsystems Inc.//DTD JavaHelp Map Version 1.0//EN" "http://java.sun.com/products/javahelp/map_1_0.dtd">

  <map version="1.0">

  <mapID target="intro_screen_htm" url="intro_Screen.htm" />

  <mapID target="Introducing_Product_" url="Introducing_Abc.htm" />

<mapID target="html8_popup_topic_htm" url="html8_popup_topic.htm" />

</map>

I attempted to create the map ID using the following steps but it failed:

1.          Clicked the Project Setup tab.

2.          Clicked the Context-Sensitive Help folder.

3.          Right-clicked All Map IDs and selected Edit.

4.          Clicked Create Map ID and entered the Topic ID as org.netbeans.core.windows.options.WinSysOptionsPanelController.

I received an error msg at this point.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Not quite sure why you’d want a mapid to point to an external link in the first place – why not just code the reference either in a topic in the help or directly from the application itself?

[Willam_van_Weelden]

I guess that these options file are outside of the project, right? If so I see two ways going forward:

(Please note, I’ve never used JavaHelp myself)

• Generate the JavaHelp. Unpack it and change the xml file in the output.

• Follow Jeff’s suggestion and add the missing url to your help. Then use a redirect to send the user to the correct file. See http://www.robowizard.com/RoboWizard/NewProject.htm#MonthlyScry/062005.htm for more information.

Greet,

Willam

[shriya297]

Hi, thanks for the suggestions.

Options is a file within the RoboHelp project. What the team wants is that when a person opens the application and selects Tools>Options, then switches to the General or Miscellaneous tab and presses the help button, these links need to open. The suggestion is to do this through the RoboHelp project so the Help is kept in sync with the application.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I'm confused - what you describe just sounds like CSH: I'm in my app, I select Tools > Options, then I go some other place in my app & I press F1 - I should get the help for the page/place I'm currently at, right? That's CSH in my book! What's different in your scenario?

[shriya297]

Yes, that is exactly the scenario in my project too. The Help button is linked to the relevant entry in the map.xml file and takes the link reference from this file. However, i am not able to create this reference in the map.xml file using the source RoboHelp project.

I thought i could do this using the mapID feature in RH, but it's not taking the entry. I'm a new user of RoboHelp and am at a loss as to how this is done. Any suggestions?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

You should be able to use the MapID tool within the RH project to create mappings for all your topics that you want to be able to see when the help is launched in your application. If they all exist in the MapID file (usually BSSCDefault.h in my projects) then maybe you need to check how your developer is using the file to call the help. There are a number of ways - see the CSH folders in your local copy of RH or check out Peter Grainge's site (grainge.org) or Willam van Weelden's site (wvanweelden.eu) on CSH.

[shriya297]

The help file is going through numerous changes. The problem is that it has to be updated and the JavaHelp file has to be generated quite frequently, so I'm not sure how feasible it is to constantly change the xml file in the output.