Cannot assign specific windows to topics

[RHGrace]

I created a Main Window format and a Secondary Window format. I set the Main Window as the default. When I create a hyperlink in a topic to another topic, The Hyperlink Options Display in frame drop-down list doesn't give Main Window or Secondary Window as an option. I can just use Page Default for the Main Window most of the time. But how do I set topics to open in the Secondary Window?

Lacona

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Lacona.

Am I right in thinking you are using a CHM file? If so, you set the default window in your SSL. You can specify a secondary window in the TOC (look in the Advanced tab of your TOC Properties dialog). are the linked topic in your TOC?

[RHGrace]

Hi, Colum

Yes, I'm using a CHM file. I set the Main Window as default within the SSL. I didn't know about setting the window in the TOC properties, so that helps some. Some of the topics are in the TOC. I had originally planned to have links within the body of a topic go to topics in the Secondary Window and links at the end of the topic go to the Main Window. When I couldn't set the links to open the topics in the Secondary Window, I decided to have them open in pop-ups. However, some of the topics seem too long for pop-ups. I would think there'd be a way to set the topics linked within a topic to open in that SW.

Lacona

[Pete_Lees]

Hi, Lacona,

You'd need to use HTML Help design-time controls for hyperlinks that open the target topic in a secondary window. See below for two examples of controls that open the target topic in a secondary window called "Popup".

Regards,
Pete

[RHGrace]

Hi, Pete

Thanks for the suggestion and example code. I have some pressing Help content issues I need to work out the next few days. I'll try the design-time controls and get back to you next week.

Lacona

[johnmccallum]

Lacona,

Just to clarify Pete's advice, this has been standard procedure since the beginnings of HTML Help. It may seem a bit convoluted but, as I understand it, Microsoft selected the > symbol to proceed the window name when a call is made, e.g. "yourfile.chm::/yourtopic.htm>yourwindow". This was not exactly compatible with HTML standards, which reserves that symbol for tags, so a workaround was necessary. The Related Topics option has been used since the inception of HTML Help.

John