Each Topic file represents a single Help file screen topic that can be associated
with a HelpContextID for use in VB, as discussed in the section entitled
"Context-Sensitive
Help With the HelpContextID Property." Figure 7.16 shows a Help topic
from an HTML Help file displayed on a user's screen.
A Topic file is really just a
Web page, or *.htm file, as illustrated in Listing
7.2. Just like any other HTML file, the Topic
file can contain references to URLs on the Web.
FIGURE 7.16 A Help topic from an HTML Help
file displayed on a user's screen
LISTING 7.2
SAMPLE HTML HELP TOPIC FILE CONTENTS
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<title>Gender of Employee</title>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<p>
(Required). Choose the Male or Female option
button. We cannot process new employees without
gender information. This is needed for Medical
Insurance information only.
</p>
</BODY>
</HTML>
You must include every Topic
file you wish to use in your Help project in
the [FILES] section of the *.hhp project header
file. To add information to the [FILES] section,
you can follow these steps:
STEP BY STEP
7.2 Adding Topic Files to the [FILES] Section of an HTML Help
Project File
-
Make sure that the HTML Help Workshop application is running with the appropriate
HTML Help project (*.hhp) file loaded.
-
Click the Add/Remove Topic files icon (the second Toolbar button from the top
on the vertical toolbar along the left of the HTML Workshop's main screen). This
will bring up the Topic Files dialog box, as shown in Figure 7.17.
FIGURE 7.17 HTML Help Workshop's Topic Files dialog box.
-
Click the Add button on the Topic Files dialog box to bring up a Browse screen,
as shown in Figure 7.18. Browse to an *.htm file that you wish to add to your
project as a help topic. Repeat this step for each of the *.htm files that you
wish to add to the project.
FIGURE 7.18 Adding a Topic file to the Help project from the HTML Help Workshop
New Project Wizard's Topic Files dialog box.
-
Once you're finished adding Topic files, the Topic Files dialog box should
show a list of the files you've added, as shown in Figure 7.19. Click OK on the
Topic Files dialog box. You should now see a [FILES] section in the project window
(refer to Figure 7.14).
FIGURE 7.19 The HTML Help Workshop New Project Wizard's Topic Files dialog
box showing topic files that have been added to the project.
- Be sure to save the project file.
