Calling WebHelp Topics Using Map IDs

It is not my intention here to reinvent the wheel by producing a complete topic on the subject of calling CSH using Map IDs. What I am doing is pointing you to two excellent sites for finding out more about the subject. They are:

http://www.techscribe.co.uk/ta/web-to-help.htm (The Techscribe topic)

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/robohelp/articles/context_help.html (John Daigle's topic)

Techscribe contains the simplest explanation that I have seen for quickly getting your mind around the subject.

John Daigle's topic provides a lot more information about the subject.

I suggest you read both in the order above.

The basics are:

1. In the web page from which you want to call the help topic, add the following to the head section
   
   <script type="text/javascript" language=JavaScript1.2 src="context-WebHelp/RoboHelp_CSH.js">
   
   If the help is being called from an application, your developers will need to implement a similar call.
2. In the body, your link will look like this
   
   <A HREF='javascript:RH_ShowHelp(0, "context-WebHelp/startpage.htm>Mainwindow", HH_HELP_CONTEXT, 10)'>
   
   See the Techscribe topic for an explanation of the parameters of that call.

The first time you click a link in the Techscribe "Context-sensitive WebHelp" example, you will see a popup blocker warning. Enable popups from that site. That is a user training issue.

Click the Basic link and the help will display. Leave that open and click the Advanced link, it will display in the same window. A common issue on the Adobe RoboHelp forum is not being able to open one window while another window is open. That problem does not arise if the help is called in this way.