Using Help to Drive an Application

This forum is for all Flare issues related to the DotNet Help target, and the Dot Net Viewer
Post Reply
pachabelle
Jr. Propeller Head
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 4:58 pm

Using Help to Drive an Application

Post by pachabelle »

Is there any way to use the DotNet helpviewer to drive an application using context sensitive help. For instance, I've set up context sensitive help in my application and I open up the help viewer, if the user navigates to a different help page can that navigation then trigger a view change in the application itself? Is there a way for an application to catch navigation "events" in the help viewer? I've looked at the API and the HelpSystem didn't have any events that I could handle.

Also, how can an application query what help page (or topic) the help viewer is on?
RamonS
Senior Propellus Maximus
Posts: 4293
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 9:29 am
Location: The Electric City

Re: Using Help to Drive an Application

Post by RamonS »

As far as I know there isn't. Your idea isn't an entirely new concept, if I recall correctly this could be done with the really old WinHelp. The only idea I can come up with is to ping (as in sending a small packet of data) a web service using JavaScript in the help topics. The web service processes the packet data and provides the new help context upon request by the application. As long as that runs locally identifying the user shouldn't be necessary, but adding that in might be a good idea. JavaScript may not be capable of querying ActiveDirectory or such, but IP and some other client stats should be collectable.

I recommend that you add a feature request here: https://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx
Post Reply