Calling Context Sensitive Help

Frameless Skins

Using Map IDs

The call needs to be in the format - path/index.htm?rhmapno=123

If you require greater control over how the help opens, for example to a specific window, see the RoboHelp CSH API section below.

Using URLs

Each topic has a unique URL and the help will open with all the navigation components.

Responsive Skins

Using Map IDs

The call needs to be in the format - path/index.htm?rhmapno=123

If you require greater control over how the help opens, for example to a specific window, see the RoboHelp CSH API section below.

Using URLs

If you use the URL of the topic in the format path/topic_name.htm, the topic will open without the navigation controls, the user will have to click a link to open the TOC and other controls.

To open the help with the navigation controls, you need a path that includes the start page of the help, by default that is index.htm.

You then append #t= followed by the rest of the path to the required topic. For example - path/index.htm#t=path/topic_name.htm

WebHelp

RoboHelp 2019

The difference between responsive help and webhelp is simply that latter does not change as the screen is resized. In 2019 instead of using webhelp skins, responsive skins are used but you can choose to disable the Responsiveness option.

This does mean your help calls will need to change.

Using Map IDs

In Classic Versions, the format of the call was path/index.htm#<id=123>>newwnd=false

For RoboHelp 2019 the format is path/index.htm?rhmapno=123

Thus #<id=123>>newwnd=false is replaced by ?rhmapno=123

Using URLs

The format of URLs in Classic versions was path/index.htm#path/target_topic_1.htm.

In RoboHelp 2019 the format is path/index.htm#t=path/topic_name.htm. Note that the # symbol is followed by t=.

Merged Help

Using Map IDs

If you call topics using map ids, the parent and all the child projects should have unique map ids in their map files. 

If a child topic uses a map id which is same as a parent topic, then using Parent/index.htm?rhmapno=123 will result in loading the parent’s topic (if it exists). 

If for some reason you cannot avoid duplication, then use the child project’s own index.htm file path.

For example - Parent/mergedProjects/child_one/index.htm?rhmapno=123

If you require greater control over how the help opens, for example to a specific window, see the RoboHelp CSH API section below.

Using URLs

Frameless Skins

Each topic has a unique URL and the help will open with all the navigation components.

Responsive Skins

If you use the URL of the topic in the format path/topic_name.htm, the topic will open without the navigation controls, the user will have to click a link to open the TOC and other controls.

To open the help with the navigation controls, you need a path that includes the start page of the help, by default that is index.htm. 

You then append #t= followed by the rest of the path to the required topic.

For example - path/index.htm#t=path/topic_name.htm

CHMs

To create CSH with CHMs (Microsoft HTML Help), use the RoboHelp CSH API described below.

Using Map IDs

To call a topic using a map number, make a call to the HTML Help API using the following syntax

HWND HtmlHelp(Window(), “c:\path\helpfile.chm”, HH_HELP_CONTEXT, Number);

Using a File Name

To call a topic using the filen name, make a call to the HTML Help API using the following syntax

HWND HtmlHelp (Dialog(), “c:\path\helpfile.chm”, HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC, "topicfile.htm");

RoboHelp CSH API

In C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp 2019\CSH API, RoboHelp provides versions of this API file in a number of programming languages. Developers can use this file so that it calls the help using map ids with the parameters they require, such as a specific window.

Creating Map IDs

Creating Map IDs in RoboHelp 2019 is described in Mapping.