Web Help - HTML Pages

[P_Krishna]

Dear All,

I have created a web help project. The project is working fine. But I have been trying to do some R&D.

In the project's WebHelp folder (with in SSL folder) we have all the HTML files. The main HTML page when opened from there opens up with TOC and other navigation contents. But when we open any other HTML page (other than main page) the TOC or navigation pane is not displayed by default at all. It shows only "Show" hyperlink at a corner. Only after we click it the Navigation pane is displayed. Is there any way to make the HTML page to open by default with navigation pane. Again I would like to underline that this scenario is from SSL folder only.

With thanks and regards,
Krishna

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Krishna. Webhelp works by having an entry page that is named after the project (e.g. projectname.htm). It uses a series of links and javascript files to display all the elements of your help (e.g. TOC, index) when it is displayed. If you open this file manually everything works fine. If you open one of the other HTM files you get the behaviour you describe. This occurs regardless of where the output is placed. Therefore when you deliver the help, you must point to the projectname.htm file in order for your users to use it.

[P_Krishna]

Hi Colum,

Thanks for your suggestions.

Yes, I am aware of what your suggesting. I am trying to figure out whether it is possible to make the navigation pane appear in all HTML pages when opened manually from SSL\WebHelp folder. Is it possible to make it appear by tampering the script with in the page?

With thanks and regards,
Krishna

[RoboWizard]

Hi Krishna

Hopefully Colum will pardon my uninvited intrusion here.

I suppose one way you could accomplish this would be to hand edit each topic page so that you inserted an onLoad JavaScript function that essentially "clicked" the show link. That would probably do what you are asking.

Cheers... Rick

[Peter Grainge]

Just a small point but the start page being named the same as the project is just a default. It is possible that it has been renamed along the way.

One way to open a topic with full navigation and a topic other than the default is the formula startpage.htm#path/requiredtopic.htm. See calling webhelp using a URL on my site.

[P_Krishna]

Hi Peter/Rick,

Thanks for your views. Is the "javascript" thing that Rick has suggested in his reply is as same as the one that I find in your website? To be frank I am a novice when it comes to JavaScript. So I am bit confused where I have to make these script changes so that I get what I want. Any idea how to get hold of it?

I am using RoboHelp X5. Sorry for not mentioning in my first mail. Mean while Rick giving suggestions can never be an intrusion and I hope Colum will not thing this as an intrusion. Every one is learning from others in this forum.

With thanks and regards,
Krishna

[RoboWizard]

Hi Krishna

Sorry to err on the side of being overly cautious. I deal with other forums where there are individuals that have egos the size of the B-15A iceberg, and feel any other viewpoint or suggestion offered is entirely detrimental to the thread. Instead of viewing the information for what it is, an attempt to try and be helpful, they view it as unwanted intrusion and a threat to their very survival. (Please note that I'm not saying Colum fits that description, just that I've seen it with great regularity in other forums I visit)

Hmmm, I may have found an easy way to accomplish this. Locate a file in your project folder that is named whtopic.js. Open this file in Windows Notepad. Tap the F3 key and search for the phrase sType=="show".

You should see something similar to this:
else if(sType=="show")
{
if(isTopicOnly()&&(!gbOpera6||gbOpera7))
{
var sTitle="Show Navigation Component";

Add a line to the code just above where you see var sTitle= so the line now looks like this:

else if(sType=="show")
{
if(isTopicOnly()&&(!gbOpera6||gbOpera7))
{
setTimeout('show()',1);
var sTitle="Show Navigation Component";

Close and save the file and test. There should be no need to re-generate. You should also make a backup copy of your file so you can easily replace it when you generate.

Hopefully this helps... Rick

[P_Krishna · Accepted solution]

Hi Rick,

Thanks for your ideas.

We tried another option and it came off in the way we wanted it to. In the code through which the main page of the webhelp folder is called we appended a specific HTML page to the project name and it worked.

The main page of the webhelp is referenced as "Project Name # main page name". Where as other files are not referenced in this way. So we tried referring other HTML pages as in the above format and after that any page you call it is coming with the navigation pane as we see for the main page.

Thanks again for help from the group.

With thanks and regards,
Krishna

[Peter Grainge]

Calling startpage.htm should open the help with all three panes with the default topic.

To call any other topic in the three pane window, you use the method
startpage.htm#path/requiredtopic.htm

So it should not be necessary to name the default topic.