How to have standalone topic launch with 3-pane display?

[Blenner]

Some of our WebHelp topics need to launch as standalone topics (launched from a 'Help for this Page' button in the UI). To do this, we want the software for that UI page to be able to just pick up the individual HTML file for the topic (there's a certain amount of legacy implementation we're trying to retain). Note that although a lot of these topics are in the TOC, some of them are not.

We want such topics displayed with the full 3-pane layout so the user has access to navigation through the whole TOC.

I can't see a simple way of designating this either in the Target settings or via one of skin settings.

Anyone have any ideas about how I might achieve this?

Thanks for any help.

[LTinker68]

I'm a little confused. The default behavior for CSH calls is to open the called topic in the normal tri-pane view. You can create a second skin and fix it so the topic opens up without the tri-pane, but 1) you have to make that skin, and 2) you have to call that skin as part of the call to the topic. If you haven't done those things, then it will open the whole help window with the topic. Are you saying it's not opening the tri-pane when you call a topic directly? For instance, the following URL calls to a specific topic; when you click on it, it opens MadCap's help for version 7 to the specified topic (I used v7's help because I know it's in the WebHelp tri-pane) --> http://webhelp.madcapsoftware.com/flare ... WH_WHP.htm

The trick with CSH calls is 1) make sure for WebHelp you're using Default_CSH.htm in the call, and 2) if you have subfolders of content, you have to add that path to the call (if you're not using an alias file). In the example above, the topic is in a folder called "CSH". BTW, Default_CSH.htm will change to Default_Left.htm after you click the link.

[Thomas Tregner]

This isn't the full CSH with header files and aliases approach. But if you just want a URL with the qualifiers to open a specific topic with navigation, you can do this:

Ensure you have the Open topic with navigation link included in your output.
Open the topic from the URL for the topic location rather than from the help system skin.
Click the Open topic with navigation link and copy the resulting URL with qualifiers.

For example:
WebHelp
http://www.example.com/webhelp/default_ ... ample-skin

HTML5
http://www.example.com/html5/example-he ... -topic.htm

[Blenner]

Thanks Lisa and Thomas for rapid replies and suggestions.

I'll bring those to the table and see where we get.