New to robohelp

[Guest]

I am trying to develop a javahelp application using robohelp but have the following problem:
I have imported numerous HTML files. In the TOC I have created a book and grouped some of the topics in that book. When the application is launched I would like the user to be able to click on the book and a blank screen display(i.e. map the book to a blank file??) and allow the user to select which pages from within that book they would like to view. Can this be done without editing the map file.

Thanks for your help.

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi hurls123 and welcome to the RH community.

You seem to already have a map file with some mapids? If so, you can assign one of the mapids to the blank topic and then code the application to open it.

My question is why you want this approach. The whole point of context sensitive help is that the F1 key takes you directly to help related to the application dialog the user displays.

[Guest]

Hi Colum,

Thanks for your reply.
Maybe I'm not explaining myself very well.
What i have are 2 files - one with background details on topics and the other with instruction details on topics. There are duplicate topics between the files.
TOC in application with look like this
LDU_NO
Background

What the user has requested is this:

[Guest]

Hi Colum,

Thanks for your reply.
Maybe I'm not explaining myself very well.
What i have are 2 files - one with background details on topics and the other with instruction details on topics. There are duplicate topics between the files.
TOC in application with look like this
LDU_NO
Background

What the user has requested is this:

[Guest]

Hi Colum,

Thanks for your reply.
Maybe I'm not explaining myself very well.
What i have are 2 files - one with background details on topics and the other with instruction details on topics. There are duplicate topics between the files.
TOC in application with look like this
Topic_A
Topic_B(duplicate variable)
Background
Instructions
Topic_C
etc...
When the user presses F1 on a topic they require help for ie - Topic_B then I need the application to launch displaying a blank screen with Topic_B selected in the TOC and then the user can select Backgrouind or Instruction

Hope this is clearer

Hurls123

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi again hurls123. You are a little clearer

You want a completely blank topic displayed and then get the user to click on a topic elsewhere in your TOC book for "Background" or "Instructions". Yes you can do this by having topic B assigned to a specific mapid.

My question would be why would you want to do this? As a user I'd be pretty confused to press F1 only to get a blank screen with no information of where to go from there. Could you not handle this by having topic B have some general summary and some DHTML drop downs?

[Guest]

Hi Colum, glad im making a bit more sense.

The Business requested this format for the Help application.
When the F1 key is pressed on a duplicate topic - the folder for the topic is highlighted along with a blank screen and within that folder the user selects whether they want background or instruction details

hurls123

[MergeThis]

I agree with Colum that users presented with a blank screen will be quite taken aback, wondering if they've done something wrong.

It seems that presenting both Background and Instructions in the same topic, with one or both sections collapsed but visually available, would be more user friendly.


Good luck,
Leon

[RoboColum_n_]

I think it may be advisable to go back to the client and ask them if they want a good or bad help file. If the later they are sure going about things the right way! Maybe get some users to give their viewpoint would persuade them?

[johnmccallum]

I totally agree with Colum and Leon. I would stare at a blank screen for several minutes, while cursing Windows (the scapegoat for everything), before I would even notice the TOC. But here is what you would do. Create a topic (blank, if you must) and link it to your book. Also link it to the context help. Then when the help is fired you get what you (or your management - you wouldn't be Dilbert, would you?) wants.

Personally, I'd take the 'blank' topic and sneak in a few links - "background" or "instructions" - just so something loads when the topic is opened. Or you could follow Colum's lead (which had me laughing) and link to "good help" or "bad help" - the "bad help" opening the requested blank page. In the theme of another thread going, you could put a hit counter on the bad help and see how many users actually choose that option.

John

[Captiv8r]

ROTFLMAO!!!!

Thanks for the much needed chuckle, John!

I'm still giggling to myself as I type this... Rick

[MergeThis]

Hey, Rick, no texting while you're driving!