I frequently get questions from customers asking how they
can “link” or “hook” or “integrate” their documentation into their application
so that, when their user clicks the Help button in the software, the
documentation pops up and is already opened in the correct topic.

This process is called Context-Sensitive Help and it is
supported by Doc-To-Help.  There is a
great deal of information on this subject in the Doc-To-Help documentation, but
you need to know what it’s called in order to find it, since there’s nothing in
the docs about hooking or linking.

A good place to start is the Implementing
Context Sensitive Help topic in the documentation:

You can use NetHelp to create CSH for any application, but
our customers usually use it for web-based applications. The integration of the
Help into the application is usually handled by the programmer that developed
the application.

Then take a look at context
sensitive NetHelp.

There are samples of all your different options for CSH that
install with Doc-To-Help.  They’re in the install directory on your
computer here:

C:\Program Files\ComponentOne\DocToHelp\Context-Sensitive
Help\Samples\WebPages

That has sample code and everything you need to integrate
the Help into a web application, but you still need to link the code.

If you just want an example of what it looks like, build the
Pittsburgh250XMLSource project in the install directory, then double-click the
default.htm file in that WebPages folder to see different
samples/examples.  That’s an example that you can show your boss.Â
Just make sure you explain to your boss that it isn’t magic; the developers
will still need to do the work to integrate the Help into the application.

Information on CSH for HTML Help (CHM file), WinHelp, Help
2.0, or Microsoft Help Viewer can be found on Microsoft’s MSDN site, which has tons of
information, links, and helpful forums.Â
You can also find links and information under Related Topics in the Implementing
Context Sensitive Help topic in Doc-To-Help’s documentation.

For JavaHelp, there is CSH information available on Sun’s
website. 

If you’re looking to embed a Help window in your application
and your application is a Desktop application written in .NET, you should use
the Dynamic
Help for WinForms control that is included with every license of
Doc-To-Help.  For more information on
Dynamic Help, check out the recorded
webcast that covers Dynamic Help.