Help with enhancing Webhelp

[Nirmal_Math]

Hello,

I wish to make the following show up (see attached mock up) while the user presses F1 on the home screen of the software. The search button should search all the html pages of the webhelp.

Any idea of how to implement this?

Thanks

[Tim Green]

Hi Nirmal,

You can format your topic pages pretty much any way you like in the Help & Manual editor. If you use the WebHelp skins from the Premium Pack add-on they include URL switch support with which you can both select the search or keyword index pane with a URL and execute a search with a URL. So your application could generate a URL that directly opens the WebHelp, switches to the Search pane and executes the search for the specific terms.

[Nirmal_Math]

If you use the WebHelp skins from the Premium Pack add-on they include URL switch support with which you can both select the search or keyword index pane with a URL and execute a search with a URL. So your application could generate a URL that directly opens the WebHelp, switches to the Search pane and executes the search for the specific terms.

Thanks for your reply. Can you please elaborate on the sentence above? Where can I find the option to select between search or keyword index pane?

[Tim Green]

Hi Nirmal,

Thanks for your reply. Can you please elaborate on the sentence above? Where can I find the option to select between search or keyword index pane?

Once you install the Premium Pack you will find a new Help & Manual Premium Pack chapter in the main Help & Manual help. The instructions for using URL switches in WebHelp skins are in Help & Manual Premium Pack > WebHelp Skins: Using URL Switches.

[Lynette Collins]

I cannot purchase the premium pack. How can I get buttons for the Index and Search links for my webhelp?

[Tim Green]

Hi Lynette,

I cannot purchase the premium pack. How can I get buttons for the Index and Search links for my webhelp?

Index and search links are included in all WebHelp output. You just need to make sure that they are activated in your settings. First load your project in Help & Manual (if you are not using a skin) or the .hmskin skin file (if you are using a skin). In the case of a skin, you need to make a copy of it in your project folder to edit it. You can't edit it in the /Templates folder in the Help & Manual program folder -- that is why we put it there, to make sure that you always have an unedited original to return to if anything ever goes wrong with the editing.

Once you have loaded the project or the skin, look in the Project Explorer on the left and scroll down to Configuration > Publishing Options > WebHelp > Navigation. You will find two options there for turning on full text search and the index. If both of those are activated then the index and search features will be available in your WebHelp output.

Important: After creating and editing a copy of the skin, remember to select that copy with the Select Skin setting in the Publish dialog the next time you publish.

[Lynette Collins]

Thanks, I have the links but want buttons to appear with the name of the link within the button...not the link itself.
What I need is a button that users can click. One that says "Search" and another that says "Index."

[Tim Green]

Thanks, I have the links but want buttons to appear with the name of the link within the button...not the link itself.
What I need is a button that users can click. One that says "Search" and another that says "Index."

That would be what you would buy the Premium Pack for (one among many hundreds of other reasons)...

[Lynette Collins]

Well my manager will not purchase that. I have asked for 3 years. He says I should be able to do this without the purchase.

[Tim Green]

Hi Lynette,

He says I should be able to do this without the purchase.

Well, you can, all the templates and other components are freely editable. However, you need experience in editing HTML, CSS and JavaScript yourself to be able to do that.

[Lynette Collins]

If I purchase this out of my personal funds, will it be really easy for me to implement by myself? Also, will I be able to remove the underlines from the links in the pages?

[Tim Green]

Hi Lynette,

Before purchasing, make sure that there is a layout there you want to use by visiting the Premium Pack information page on our website:

http://www.helpandmanual.com/products_hm_pluspack.html

Note also that there are a number of skins that come free with Help & Manual that you might want to try before doing this. Give them a test with the Select Skin option in the Publish dialog -- you may like what you see.

Turning off underlining for links is very easy, you don't need an additional skin for that. Just let me know which links you want to restyle like this (in the TOC, the topic pages or wherever you want to do this).

[Lynette Collins]

Okay, I will look at the skins you spoke of and test them after my release date. The links that are underlined are in the topics in the online help and pdf guide.
Thank you,
Lynette

[Lynette Collins]

Okay, please send the information as to how to remove the underlines for the links within the topics.

Thank you,
Lynette

[Tim Green]

Okay, please send the information as to how to remove the underlines for the links within the topics.

There is a tutorial project explaining how to do this included with Help & Manual. It's called DHTML Examples and you can find it in the Examples sub-folder in your My HelpAndManual Projects folder in your Documents directory. If you have trouble please write to support AT ec-software.com (replace the AT with @) and we will help you out.