Follow-up to the followup to RoboHELP question

[Alexia Prendergast <alexiap -at- SEAGATESOFTWARE -dot- COM>]

One last note: You'll have the most control if you can generate the map
files yourself -- We run a makehelp.bat batchfile that pulls the IDs out
of the various resource files to create the HM file, then compiles the
help using that HM file. That way, you can make sure you always have the
latest map file and you can catch changes before they create a crisis
for you. The more independent you are of the developers, the more in
control you can be.

A.

--
Alexia Prendergast
Tech Pubs Manager
Seagate Software (Durham, NC, USA)
mailto:alexiap -at- seagatesoftware -dot- com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Scott Miller [SMTP:smiller -at- CORP -dot- PORTAL -dot- COM]
> Sent: Friday, October 24, 1997 3:38 PM
> To:   TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject:      Re: followup to RoboHELP question
>
> >>>>>>>>
> >Has anyone ever had to use the programmer's map file to link to a
> help
> >file? (I'm on hold with BlueSky as we speak....) Is this a lot of
> work?
> ><<<<<<<<
> >
> >For the first time, I'm using the programmer's map file to link help.
> It's a
> >weird way to work, but effective. Some important points:
> >
> >-  The programmer's map file has the suffix "HM." This doesn't affect
> >anything. I've seen map files with suffixes H, HM,  and HH.
> >
> >-  The programmer's map file can change. Then your help can be
> broken. This
> >usually occurs when more than one developer is working on a project,
> and they
> >assign a number that is already assigned. Apparently, this is no
> problem for
> >the program's code, but it can be deadly for context-sensitive help.
> In my
> >case,map numbers originate in a file called "resource.h." This is
> where you
> >will find duplicate entries.
> >
> >-  The programmer's map file includes all sorts of contexts that may
> or may
> >not require a help topic. This means that pressing F1 just about
> anywhere in
> >the program will display help, but if you haven't hooked up help to a
> >control, an error message is displayed. Many of these controls are
> unknown,
> >for example, how can you tell what the context is for something like
> >"HIDD_FWEEBLE_DISLOCATOR?" In some cases, as a last resort, you can
> use an
> >alias to map unknown contexts to a single "No help available on this
> item"
> >topic.
> >
> >Scott Miller
> >smiller -at- portal -dot- com
> >
> >
>
> ~~
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>

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