How do I map existing RoboHelp topics to 3rd party URL call?

[RaelShadow61]

Hey All.

We have recently signed a contract with a third party software provider to use their product within our application. Their product has a Help button on each page calling their online help. However, they offer the ability, in the config file, to specify a different Online Help URL. I have set this to point to our main product's Online Help server. I have also copied their help files (with their permission) into our main product's Online Help project. I need to figure out how to map it so that their help button finds the topic in our main product's Online Help.

Basically, when the user clicks the help button in the third party product, it sends out the following call to the help server: http://www.customhelp.com/Product?helpkey=welcometopic&language=en-us (where www.customhelp.com/Product is the path to our main product's Online WebHelp server and welcometopic is the context parameter.

I have tried using the context parameter as the Map ID, but am still not able to access the topic within our main product's WebHelp.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you need any more information, let me know.

Bill

[Willam_van_Weelden]

Hi Bill,

RoboHelp requires a different CSH call and won't understand the URL provided by the third party product. The problem is not setting the context parameter as a map id (you will need that certainly) but transforming the URL of the call to something RoboHelp output can understand. That's where your challenge lies. Basically, you require a page that will parse the URL and redirect to a CSH URL for the RoboHelp output.

Since you are using WebHelp, you will have to create a CSH url for that output. For the correct syntax, please see:

• Peter's site on calling Webhelp: http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/calling_webhelp/calling_webhelp.htm
• My site on the CSH options: https://www.wvanweelden.eu/articles/context-sensitivity-webhelp-and-flashhelp

If you would like some consulting on creating a page that does this translation for you, I would be happy to help you. If you are interested, feel free to drop me an email at contact [at] wvanweelden [dot] eu.