Publishing > Configuring Your Output

The appearance and functionality of HTML Help output is controlled by the settings in three Project Configuration sections:

•Configuration > Publishing Options > HTML Help

•Configuration > Common Properties > Help Windows

•Configuration > HTML Page Templates

Additional WebHelp and HTML information for experts

If you are experienced in creating pages with HTML, CSS and JavaScript please refer to the Using HTML Templates chapter for information on how you can get the most out of your HTML-based output in Help & Manual.

The settings in Configuration > Publishing Options > HTML Help directly control the appearance and functionality of your HTML Help output. The notes below explain what the sections are for, which settings you need to check and where you can find more information.

HTML Export Options:

This section contains some of the most important options for your HTML Help output. They control how your project is converted to HTML code and you should always check them before publishing a new project for the first time. Changes made here can cause radical differences in the behavior and appearance of your HTML Help output.

For full details on all the settings in this section see HTML Export Options in the HTML Help section of the Project Configuration chapter.

This is a shared section! The options in HTML Export Options are used for all HTML-based output formats (HTML Help, WebHelp, Windows Exe and ePub eBooks and Visual Studio Help). The settings of these options are the same for all these formats. You cannot enter different settings for the individual output formats.

Popup Topics:

The settings for popup topics are included in the HTML Export Options section. For information on creating and using popup topics in HTML Help see Creating popup topics and Using JavaScript popups. If you plan on using field-level popups to be displayed in your application also check Using Context-Sensitive Help in the More Advanced Procedures section.

Extended .HHP Settings:

This section is for advanced users who have experience with the manual configuration of HTML Help projects. If you are just getting started with Help & Manual you don't need to worry about it at all. It enables you to add and modify settings in the HHP project configuration file that is fed to the Microsoft HTML Help compiler together with all the other project files.

These additional options adjust the appearance and behavior of the TOC in the Microsoft HTML Help viewer:

Display plus/minus icons:
Activates or deactivates the +/- icons displayed to the left of closed/open chapter icons ("books") in the HTML Help viewer's TOC.

Draw lines between items:
When this is activated fine dotted lines are displayed between related items in the TOC, making it easier see which topic belongs to which chapter in complex TOCs.

Track selection (mouseover effect):
When this is activated an underline is displayed below topic entries in the TOC when the user moves the mouse over them. This makes it easier to be sure which topic you are going to click on.

Only expand a single heading:
When the user selects a new chapter any other chapters on the same level in the TOC that are open will be closed automatically. This is useful for complex help documents with lots of chapters, because it is easier to navigate in the TOC if you do not have multiple chapters open.

This setting specifies what happens when the user opens the compiled help file directly if it is part of a modular help system. See Working with Modular Help Systems for more information on this subject.

In addition to the settings in the HTML Help section, the configuration and appearance of your HTML Help output is also controlled by the settings in Configuration > Common Properties > Help Windows. In particular, the HTML Help Options tab configures the features of the Microsoft help viewer used to display your HTML Help CHM file.

See Help Windows for some more information on this subject.

This section provides access to the HTML templates used in all HTML-based output formats. These templates define the layout of the HTML pages into which the text from your topics is inserted.

Editing HTML templates directly requires experience with editing HTML code. If you are just getting started with Help & Manual it is recommended that you only use the Simple Template Layout tab. This allows you to use the default template while you are getting used to using the program.

For full details on all the settings in this section see Topic Pages in the HTML Help section of the Project Configuration chapter.

For information on using and editing HTML templates see the Templates and Secondary Windows and Using HTML Templates chapters in the Reference section.