The easiest way to redefine user-defined variables in your entire project is with skins, which can also apply an entirely new design to your project. In addition to user-defined variables skins can also include your HTML page templates, your Baggage files and your text and table styles. What is included depends on what you save with the skin file.

1.Save a project skin file (preferably in your project folder) and edit it with the values you want to use. See Transforming your output with skins for full details.

2.Reference the skin file in your command line with the /O= switch.

If the file is stored in your project directory you don't need to enter a path for the variables file because the path to the project file is used automatically. If it is stored anywhere else you must enter a path. (You can enter either absolute paths or relative paths relative to the project directory.)

Examples:

HELPMAN.EXE "D:\Project Files\Widget Help\Myproject.hmxp" /O=demoversion.hmskin

HELPMAN.EXE "D:\Project Files\Widget Help\Myproject.hmxz" /O="D:\Data Files\lightversion.hmskin"

Remember, if any paths or file names contain spaces you must enclose them in quotes!

Multiple skins:

You can specify multiple skins for the same output format in a single command line. If the same attributes are defined in more than one skin the attributes from the last skin in the command line will overwrite those used in the previous skins.

If you want to specify skins for separate output formats you must do so separately for each output format.

This method only redefines variables. You can also combine the two methods in any order – if the skin file and the variables file both redefine the same variables the last file in the command line has priority. You can redefine both TEXT and HTML variables. The variable type will be maintained when you redefine it.

Important: Unlike the /O= switch for skins, the /V= switch for a variables text file can only be used once per output format. If you use it more than once only the last reference will be used. The others will be ignored.

Step one: Create a file with the new definitions

1.Create a new plain-text file and enter each variable you want to redefine with its new value on a separate line using the following syntax. You don't have to redefine all the variables. Only those included in the file will be affected.

VARIABLENAME1=The new value of variable 1
VARIABLENAME2=<a href="https://www.helpandmanual.com/">EC Software Website</a>
VARIABLENAME3=The new value of variable 3

Don't enter the <% and %> tags for the variable names in this file and don't insert quotes around the variable value strings. Don't enter tabs or spaces to the left or right of the = signs.

Be careful to enter HTML code for HTML variables and text for text variables. If you enter HTML code for text variables the code will be interpreted as plain text.

2.Save the file with the .txt extension in your project directory.

Step 2: Publish your project with the /V= switch

Add the /V= switch with the name of  the variables file created in Step 1 to the command line. If the file is stored in your project directory you don't need to enter a path for the variables file because the path to the project file is used automatically. If it is stored anywhere else you must enter a path. (You can enter either absolute paths or relative paths relative to the project directory.)

Examples:

HELPMAN.EXE "D:\Project Files\Widget Help\Myproject.hmxz" /V="D:\Data Files\variables.txt"

HELPMAN.EXE "D:\Project Files\Widget Help\Myproject.hmxp" /CHM=Myproject.chm /V=variables.txt /PDF=Myproject.pdf /V=variablespdf.txt

In the second example, different variables files are used for two different output formats created in the same command line.

Remember, if any paths or file names contain spaces you must enclose them in quotes!