Connecting CSH

[svaishnav]

Hi,

I am using RoboHelp X5. I have imported a Map file and generated Map IDs. My team wants me to connect the chm with a dummy application and show them. I have copied the chm as well as RoboHelp_CSH.cpp and RoboHelp_CSH.h at the project location.

The imported Map file's name is resource.h. Where should the developers include this map file( I think the same location where it existed before)? When I open this file, I am not able to see any changes in this file.

What all other places or file does a develop need to modify to run the chm.

The .CHM is to be integrated with application developed in Visual Studio 8.

Pleas also let to me know the way to integrate chm with Visual Studio 8 (if I do not provide RoboHelp_CSH.cpp and RoboHelp_CSH.h files to them).
This task is urgent for me. Can anybody please help?
Thanks & Regards

[johnmccallum]

I'm a bit confused as to your RoboHelp_CSH.cpp and RoboHelp_CSH.h files. Is this the "dummy application" you want to connect?

Every dialog or item they want connected to the help must be set up to call help. If your developers are using Visual Studio 8, they should be able to automatically generate the context sensitive help for HTML Help. Perhaps this is what was done to generate the dummy application?

As a help author, you need to connect help to the .h file by creating a corresponding .ali file. RoboHelp will allow you to do this easily. Import the .h file into your project and use the Edit Map IDs to connect those IDs to your help topics. You will then need to compile your help project and the RoboHelp_CSH.cpp project. These two compiled projects (the application and CHM) should then work together.

John

[svaishnav]

Hi John,

Let me put it this way.

Developers are developing an application for Windows Vista platform using Visual Studio 8.

As stated in your mail, I am curious to know how they would be able to automatically generate the context sensitive help for HTML Help (do you mean .chm?).

The next is that I have imported a Header file (res.h, for example) and generated the corresponding Map IDs. Do I need to give the same header file (res.h) to the developer? If yes, where do they place it?

I have also generated a chm. Where do they place the same? I need to know the path.

Next, where else do they need to make changes so as to integrate the chm with their application?

Last but not the least, as stated by you ,"You will then need to compile your help project and the RoboHelp_CSH.cpp project. These two compiled projects (the application and CHM) should then work together", you mean to say that I copy RoboHelp_CSH.cpp in thier project. RoboHelp_CSH.cpp is found in my RoboHelp's directory and not where the help is located.

I did place RoboHelp_CSH.cpp and CHM at the project's location, however, I did not suceed.
Regards
Shalini

[MergeThis]

I just did a search in the RH help on the term "cpp," and got five topics listed, all of which are intended for developers.

There is no "automatic" or "easy" way to combine your help with the application. Both the author and the developers need to ensure that their respective duties are performed.


Good luck,
Leon

[johnmccallum]

The .cpp file is the application source code. This should contain map IDs that are used to link to the help file. This needs to be compiled into an executable file (.exe). Your developers will do this. If RoboHelp_CSH.cpp is in your RoboHelp directory, I assume it is an example that your developers can use.

The header file (.h or .hh) is the context sensitive help map IDs. This is a text file that links the IDs your developer attached to the various dialogs, etc. to map numbers. With Visual Studio, your developer would generally create this and link it into their project. I believe VS version 8 will automatically generate this if the developer turns on a switch to automatically generate HTML Help. We use VS version 6 which only automatically creates WinHelp. If you create the help header file instead, you can give it to your developer and they should know what to do with it.

In RoboHelp, you will create an .ali file by linking map IDs to help topics. Like the .h file, the .ali file is also a text file. I always recommend people open these files in Notepad and look at them. It will help illuminate the way CSH works. The reason there are two files is so that the developer and help author can work somewhat independently. We do things totally different here but that's the theory.

Your developers do nothing with the .chm file. That is unless your developers are also the ones creating the installation package. In that case they would install the .chm along with the .exe.

Hope this helps,

John