How do I create CSH in a Merged Project?

[igleski]

We have five sub-projects. We have merged them into one master project using HTML targets. We need context sensitive help. We have added header and alias files to the five sub-projects, and exported the header files. How do I pull that CSH info already created in the sub-projects into the merged project? Ultimately, in order to link the information in the master project to the appropriate software module, I need one .chm file and one .properties file with the CSH info for all five sub-projects.

[Pete Lees]

Hi, igleski,

Just to clarify, you have a master .chm file and five slave .chm files, and you want to channel all the context help calls through the master file? Here are two different methods, using different HTML Help API commands, which should enable you to do this. Sorry I can't give Flare-specific instructions, but I don't currently use the program. With luck, someone else who is familiar with Flare may be able to add to this thread.

HH_HELP_CONTEXT method

This method is described in detail in the following Web page:

http://helpware.net/htmlhelp/how_to_merge_ctx2.htm

For more information on the HH_HELP_CONTEXT command, see:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... S.85).aspx

HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC method

This is rather more straightforward. You need to compile into the master .chm file a redirection topic that contains the script below.

Code: Select all

<script>
var sTopic = window.location.hash.substring(1);
window.location.replace("ms-its:" + sTopic);
</script>

Then you use HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC calls to open this topic and pass the file name of the required slave topic via a bookmark, as in:

Code: Select all

HtmlHelp(hwnd,"master.chm::/redirect.htm#slave1.chm::/topicA.htm",HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC,NULL);

For more information on the HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC command, see:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... S.85).aspx

Pete

[NorthEast]

When you merge projects, Flare doesn't merge the alias files from the sub-projects, so CSH calls to these sub-projects don't work.

MadCap published a work-around for WebHelp projects (see below), which basically involves merging the alias files by hand. I've not tried it with HTML Help targets, so if it doesn't work for HTML Help then I'd contact support for help.

http://kb.madcapsoftware.com/Default_CS ... ebHelp.htm

[Pete Lees]

For what it's worth, I suspect that anyone who applies the methods in that Knowledge Base article to a merged HTML Help collection is likely to run into the problems that the Helpware method is designed to work around. That's to say, indexes that don't merge properly, and a table of contents that doesn't synchronize automatically with the currently-displayed topic.

See this article on the Helpware site for more information on the potential problems:

http://helpware.net/htmlhelp/how_to_mer ... extHelpIDs

Pete

[trent the thief]

Hiya,

Just updating the alias merging situation:

Flare 4 merges alias files!

[Kleb]

Hi Trent,

I've been trying Webhelp and dotnet outputs in Flare 4, but it isn't merging the alias files for me. When I try calling the master project with context IDs, the ones in the master project work, but the ones for subprojects do not. I looked in the generated Alias file, and it's only got the master project's IDs.

FWIW, I am importing the subprojects as Flare projects and not as external help systems in the TOC.

Can you suggest what might be wrong?

-Caleb

[Alice]

Hi, Trent!
As far as I understand U're the only one who has discovered that Flare 4 merges alias files.
Cuold you please be more specific Are you talking about merging chms or some other outputs?
If I merge chms? do I need to specify anything anywhere to have alias files merged?
Thanx

[NorthEast]

It works with WebHelp projects, i.e. projects merged by inserting a link to the Flare project in the master project's TOC. Unfortunately I can't comment on HTML Help as I don't use it.

One thing I noticed is that if you have identifiers/values that are duplicated in both the master project and subproject, the topic in the master project will be displayed in a CSH call.

[dano]

Dave/Trent,

Does the alias merging only work if you link to a Flare project and target in your TOC, as opposed to linking to an external help system?

I've used the latter way of linking, but struggling to get my CSH links in the sub-projects working.

cheers

Dan

[NorthEast]

Does the alias merging only work if you link to a Flare project and target in your TOC, as opposed to linking to an external help system?

Yeah, alias merging only applies when you add a link to a 'Flare project and target' in your TOC - the alias files from the linked projects are merged together. The 'External Help System' option is for linking to help created using other tools, not Flare projects.

[dano]

I must have shaken something loose, because the links now work across my merged webhelp system, using TOC links to external help systems (which happen to be Flare help systems).