Creating HTML Help files using HTML Help
Overview
The post is based on the HTML Help version download here.
One way to spruce up hyperlinks in reports, in addition to using the opendocument object, is to link to a help file.
Creating help files with HTML Help is a tedious task, after the html content is written and plotted out, but the process of building a fully functioning help file is mostly automated. A few repetitions to gain familiarity with the interface will yield results both on your local as well as networked and internet folders.
The first iterations should rely on the wizard to create files. Read the intro pages in the help files. You need to bring in completed (or fairly complete) content in the form of .htm files before starting. This way, The boxes on the contents tab will populate correctly and navigational integrity can be maintained. Begin in small increments, first local, then on the network. The chum will use these shared files when published, so
access should be granted to the folder accordingly.
The compile is very specific for HTML Help when run on the network. You want to cycle through to a new help project, and let the wizard create all new files:
- Project file
Select Existing html files in subfolder below main
Note: Make sure navigational integrity is programmed into .htm files before bringing them into the project
- Contents file
Let the wizard create it, and leave 'automatically create' box unticked. Have the file name filled in.
- Index file
This can be left out for the first iterations, to save time toward getting the first compilation. Fill in the file name, leaving 'Include Keywords' box unticked.
Be sure to maintain navigational integrity. The easiest way is to use two content .htm files in order to gain familiarity and obtain successful compiles.
