Contents tab not loading

[mwillms]

when i open my compiled help project in my application, it now loads the index tab rather than the contents tab when the help system is first opened. when i compile and then view the results, the contents tab shows first. as i prefer. this is a new problem that i'm not sure how to correct. any ideas?

thanks, Matt

[Peter Grainge]

In the Window Properties there is a field Default Tab. Change that to Contents.

[mwillms]

Peter:

I can't seem to find that option. can you explain how to find that to set the default as 'contents?

Thanks,

Matt

[mwillms]

Peter,

Ok, i found that option in the screen prior to creating. it was properly checked. when i view the finished output, it loads the contents tab properly as the default. however, when i call this same help from my application, it instead loads the index as defualt with the 'welcome' topic. what might i be doing wrong? is there another file in addition to the html file i need to distribute w/ my application?

Thanks for all your help.

Matt

[Peter Grainge]

In Project Manager there is a folder called Windows. Click the plus sign and then double click the window you are using.

There is a frame Tri Pane Tabs and Windows. It's in there.

If you don't see it, make sure HTML Help is the default in Single Source Layouts and then create a new window.

[Peter Grainge]

That's to do with how you are calling the help from the application, obviously, and I can't help you with that. I believe there is something in RH own help about that but if not post back. I'm sure someone will know the solution.

[mwillms]

Peter:

when i build this w/ winhelp 2000, a separate TOC file is created. But in the HTML build, there is not, or I am not finding it. Is a separate TOC created when building in HTML?

Alos, is there a way to hide the left-right navigation pane in the html Main window? I prefer just the left pane top-bottom view and can't seem to find a way to only show that. Also, i notice the top left-right pane includes topics not in the correct 'books' on the left. That is, a topic appears in the top, where as the wrong book is shown on the left. ideas on that? on how to correct.

I've tried the steps as outlined in robohelp, but that's not been any help. it shows ok after generating, but not when called. not sure how to phrase this to post in the forum...

Matt

[Peter Grainge]

No the TOC is not separate. A CHM is a complete file, TOC, Index, Glossary and topics are all in the one file.

The three panes are the toobar across the top, the TOC on the left and the topics on the right. Use that terminology to describe what you want.

It does sound as if your help is correct in that it does what you want when you standalone so it's the way you are calling it that is the issue and, as i said, I cannot advise on that.

[mwillms]

Hi Peter:

What is odd is that when i use the exact same help project and build as Win 2000 help, the contents tab properly loads as the default from my application. When i build as a CHM file, the index tab is shown as the default when the file is opened. The only change in the application in calling these two is the file name, nothing else. Is there something i might be missing in calling the CHM output so that the Contents is the default tab? do i need a specific topic in the MAIN document for the CHM file to work properly? is this possibly a bug in RH X5.0.1 build 606 when creating CHM help?

Is there a better forum to place this question and my problem?

Thanks,

Matt

[Peter Grainge]

When you call the CHM from the app the Contents tab is there and works but is not the default, correct? It seems to me that as the file opens OK if double clicked, there has to be something in whatever you are using to program your application, a setting in that somewhere. Find a CHM file somewhere on your PC and link your application to that. Does it exhibit the same behaviour?

You are in the right forum but being a weekend everyone except the geeks have gone home. Post back what exploring your programming tool and trying another CHM finds, then perhaps someone with more knowledge of this area can help better than I am able to.

[Peter Grainge]

BTW. It's not a bug or we would have seen lots of posts on this.

[Captiv8r]

Hi all

Hopefully Peter will excuse my intrusion here.

Matt, Peter is spot on with this. Your issue falls squarely in your developer's lap. It's all about how the developer calls your .CHM file from his/her application. When they issue the call, they are able to make whichever of the tabs they want be the default. Otherwise, if you simply double-click the .CHM from Windows Explorer, it opens to the last tab that was open. This information is kept inside a file named HH.DAT and it's hidden from view.

WinHelp 2000 and Microsoft HTML Help may appear very similar, but under the hood they are as different as night and day. Thus, a call that opens your WinHelp 2000 output properly will likely either fail outright or produce unexpected results if you are attempting to instead open a .CHM file.

You might have your developer poke around on either Rob Chandler's or Dave Liske's sites. I think each has info on mapping to assorted applications and issuing the help call.

Click here to visit Rob's site
Click here to visit David's site

Cheers... Rick

[mwillms]

Thanks Rick.

Actually, we develop the product that i am having the trouble with. I'm not sure what command I would pass thru our Visual FoxPro application to the CHM file to call the Contents tab rather than the index tab that is showing as default. Any ideas on a few typical commands that i might try that might work?

Matt

[RoboWizard]

Hi Matt

Unfortunately, I know help files and not development tools like Visual FoxPro. Sorry

Maybe the following link will help? Click here

Cheers... Rick

[mwillms · Accepted solution]

Peter, Rick, Dirk:

I was able to find the solution to the Contents tab not loading as default when called from my visual foxpro application. I found the following on the Visual FoxPro Wiki: "With HMTL Help, _mst_help opens Help with the index brought forward and _mst_hpsch opens Help with the contents page brought forward."

This seems to have solved the issue and wanted to post here in case others run across the same problem. Thanks to all of you for your help pointing me in the right direction.

Regards,
Matt

[---Dirk_Bock]

Matt,

at the risk of sounding incredibly dumb: when you switch to the TOC pane, close the help and re-open it - all from within your application - does this problem persist?

If it does you might try deleting the hh.dat file (in XP, you'll find it at Documents and Settings\<username>\Application data\Microsoft\HTML Help).

Regards

---Dirk Bock

[mwillms]

Hi Dirk:

Yes the problem persists after opening, switching to the TOC tab, closing, and then re-opening the help system. I searched my system and i do not have any hh.dat file. Might that be the problem? how would i create so that the TOC tab would open by default?

Thanks for your help,

Matt

[johnmccallum]

Matt,

When you refer to the "left-right navigation pane" it sounds to me like you are refering to a "Browse sequence." See if you can find that and turn it off.

John