Need browser to show Previous/Next buttons

[annock]

Both WebHelp and FlashHelp layouts display in full browser window when viewed within RoboHelp. But when called from within my MS Visual C++ application via a call to RH_ShowHelp, help is shown within a non-browser or limited-browser window. All I get is the blue title bar surrounding the skin. Is the problem with the arguments to RH_ShowHelp? I've tried hParent = 0 and (-1) and uCommand = HH_HELP_CONTEXT and HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC - same results. Or could the problem be with my browser settings?

[johnmccallum]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

As I understand it, if your application does not specify a window the help should open in your default window. My developer uses a NULL window when using HH_HELP_CONTEXT and it always opens in my default window. I use compiled help and it sounds as if you are using WebHelp. I don't know the syntax for RH_ShowHelp but perhaps you could use either NULL or your window name in the call.

John

[annock]

Thanks for the welcome. My application does specify NULL as the window pointer which works as expected with compiled help. I want to use WebHelp, however, and I want it to open my default browser and display the context specific help topics as well as the main help topic all with the same format within the browser window - just like it appears when viewing the results of the main help topic from within RoboHelp. Currently it displays them in a regular window (not a browser). The context specific help does not show the toc/search/index tabs unless you click a link labeled "show". The main help topic does show the toc/search/index tabs. But nowhere are there previous/next arrows. I'm guessing I have to make some changes to the RH_ShowHelp code but it looks like greek to me.

[annock]

New information. This appears to have nothing to do with my application. When I use the CSH Test tool in RoboHelp to test my context sensitive help, the help opens up the same type of window I was talking about - a non browser window with the help text and a "Show" link which, when clicked, shows the skin with Contents, Index, Search, etc. but no previous/next buttons. So my revised questions are: 1) is there a way to put previous/next buttons in the skin; and 2) is there a way to open the context sensitive help with the skin visible (as though you had clicked the Show link)?

[RoboWizard]

Hi annock

You might wish to take a look at the following links and see if they clear anything up.

Link one
Link two
Link three

Cheers... Rick

[annock · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the links. Opening specific help topics using the #topic_file.htm does the trick though I needed to convert all my application calls using message map ids to use the actual file names. It seems like the only way to get "true" previous/next buttons is to open the help within a browser. I'm working on that - can't seem to avoid the security check with IE 7. Thanks again for all the help. I'm learning so much reading these postings. What a great resource.