Shortcuts to a specific topic in a CHM

[tojo45]

I was referred to the RoboWizard page and downloaded the Tips n Tricks chm where I found how to open a CHM in its own window, and in the tips, it provides a way to open a specific topic.

We are using the "hidden" shortcut option. We create a topic just for the shortcut. In our app all of the CHMs are in one subfolder, at the same level as the EXE's which are in their own folder.

The Tips n Trix help says to use "hh.exe" as the program to run. If I use that from the app to open the CHM I get an error that says it "Cannot open the file"

For the "Program Parameters" I am using "ms-its:circ.chm::/how_to_setup.htm"

If I use the chm file name instead of hh.exe, it works from CHM to CHM, but only opens the main page from the application.

If I double click the CHM, and then click the link that goes to a topic in another CHM, it works fine. The specific topic is displayed.

If I open the application, click Help | Contents to open the CHM and then click the link it opens to the "main" chm page, not the topic.

How can I get it open to the topic from the application?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Joe

[johnmccallum]

Joe,

What you are trying to do is known as "context sensitive help." You can do this via shortcuts to hh.exe, but HTML Help was designed to use map numbers from the application. When you write:

"If I open the application, click Help | Contents to open the CHM and then click the link it opens to the "main" chm page, not the topic."

I wonder what the application links are trying to do. Are they also trying to call hh.exe? The protocol would be different than from inside the CHM. The application should be using the HTMLHelp API calls. One way to investigate the application's links is to open RoboHelp's BugHunter. When you click on the links it should intercept any calls to HTMLHelp and post them.

Hope this helps,

John

[tojo45]

John, Thanks for the reply and food for further investigation. I may misunderstand your question (It may be I'm oblivious (dumb) as to the core idea of your question) but I'll try to respond as I know it to be.

The HELP | CONTENTS link is calling the CHM as normally, we've not changed that call. We are trying to use shortcuts to jump from within the CHM that opens via HELP | CONTENTS, to a specific topic, in another chm (separate window) by using the "tip" as provided in the RoboWizard's Tips N Trix CHM. It seemed to be the answer to our need, but it's not working.

I will try the Bug Hunter to see if I can obtain some further info. Thanks again.

Joe

[tojo45]

Sorry, I didn't address the "context sensitive" issue. We were hoping to avoid needing developer intervention. We do use F1 calls from the application GUI to specific content, but wanted to be able to do these from within the Help (and revise in the future) without the need for programmers getting involved. FYI