Context-Sensitive Question

[techwriter918]

We have a single topic file that walks the user through a setup process encompassing 17 steps. Each of the 17 steps represents 17 different screens in the program. Rather than creating 17 topics for each individual screen (and thus 17 map ids) we want just the one single topic. My question is this: is there a way that when the user presses the help button that you can ensure that they move to the step that pertains to the screen that they are on within that single topic rather than have the page load at the top, and the user scroll to that particular step?

[Guest]

Here's my humble opinion - just use the 17 different topics and create the 17 map ids.

Noone wants to scroll through a topic that is so long they lose their place. Even if they come in at the right place, it doesn't take much to become disoriented in a lengthy topic.

It is no big deal to create and maintain map IDs. I have over 1000 in mine, and trust me - they take up a negligible portion of my day, if at all. Once they are set up, there is no further maintenance needed unless you add new forms or change the name of existing forms.

Having said that, no doubt there is a way to set up bookmarks and link them to map IDs in the manner you want, but someone else will have to fill you in.

I urge you to rethink your strategy. What you want reminds me of the old-fashioned Help files that were basically just Word documents pasted into single topics that went on for miles.

Good luck, with whatever method you end up using!

[Pete_Lees]

Hi, techwriter918,

Each context integer that the application passes to the help system can be mapped to one topic (or bookmark within a topic) only. So, you need 17 different context integers — one for each Help button — to go to 17 different locations within the help system.

You have the choice of keeping the single big topic, with bookmarks inserted at the appropriate places, or of splitting it into 17 topics. In both cases, you require 17 different integers that you can map to the bookmarks or topics.

Pete