CSH Help

[Gill6034]

When creating CSH help (webhelp) we are using the resource ID attribute to enter in CSH IDs. Is there a script to gather them and create a map file from them? If not, how do I make an alias file and map file within Oxygen? How do I attach that script to the DITA - Webhelp transform.

Why doesn't O2 help address CSH? There is nothing in the help files about this.

[sorin_ristache]

Hello,

The Oxygen Webhelp transform only provides the conversion of a set of DITA XML files or a set of Docbook XML files to a set of Webhelp pages that can be loaded, viewed and navigated in a Web browser. The connection between a particular application that needs context-sensitive help (CSH) and the set of Webhelp pages created by the Oxygen Webhelp transform will have to be implemented by the application, using the development language/platform of that application.

There is no such DITA concept as map file with the resource IDs. I suggest creating an XSLT stylesheet that gathers into a separate file (what you called a map file) all the resource IDs from the DITA XML topic files and integrate this file into your application. This file could be used for looking up the Webhelp page that needs to be opened/displayed for the end user, based on a particular CSH help ID. The Oxygen application offers extensive support for XSLT transformations which can help you to create the XSLT file that gathers all the resource ID values.


Regards,
Sorin

[Gill6034]

Sorin,

How does this help my developers? They want to be able to put a call into the help button so it calls a map file and be done with it. We then write into the map file what ID calls what topic, and we can change it whenever we want, independent of the developers.

Currently, they still have to hard code in a call from the help button to the proper topic. This means that every time we make a change, they have to touch the code.

Thanks
Gillian

[sorin_ristache]

Gillian,

If you want to use the resource ID value from the DITA XML topic file to enter in CSH from your application, as you said in your first post, then I think you can't avoid touching the code of your application, because changing the topic that will be opened by a Help button will imply changing the resource ID associated with that Help button.

I suggest creating or generating a map file that associates an ID value of a Help button used in your application with a resource ID value used in a DITA topic file. You should not change the ID value of the Help button. If the ID value of the Help button is not changed the code of your application will not be touched. When you want to change the DITA topic that is opened in CSH by that Help button in your application, you should just change in the map file the resource ID value that is associated with the ID value of that Help button.


Regards,
Sorin