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How to Use This Template |
  
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How to Use This Template |
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Excluding this topic from your output: By default this instructions topic is included in your output so that you don't get an error if you compile the project without adding your own topics. If you want to exclude this topic from your output just select the Topic Options tab and deselect all options in the Builds which include this topic: section. |
Introduction
This template project contains all the styles, graphics, HTML templates and other components used in Help & Manual 4's own help. This version includes the latest version of the non-scrolling header code for both HTML Help and Browser-based Help, which now automatically supports non-scrolling headers with printing in both HTML and Browser-based Help.
The template works in all browsers. If the user's browser has JavaScript turned off it doesn't break the template -- the topics are simply displayed with a normal static header. Multi-topic printing works in HTML Help and the Browser-based Help output now has a Print icon, making it possible for users with browsers that can't print frames properly to print their topics.
How to use the template:
Just create a new project in Help & Manual. In the second screen of the New Project wizard select this project (H&M_Help_Template.hmx) in the "Use this project as the template for the new project:" field.
 | Note that you still have to set up your own project settings, like the project title and so on! |
For more details on working with project templates see the following topic in the help:
More Advanced Procedures > Templates and Secondary Windows > Templates for projects
Using the template in an existing project:
To do this you need to import the various components of the template separately.
You need to import several Project Properties sections from this template file to your current project. To do this you select the section in Project Properties and then select the Copy properties from... button at the bottom of the screen and select the H&M_Help_Template.hmx project file as the import source. Note that this will overwrite all your current settings in every section you import!
Import all these Project Properties sections:
| 1. | Common Properties - Baggage Files |
| 2. | Help Windows |
| 3. | Browser-based Help - ALL sections (This also includes the Topic Pages section which will automatically be used in HTML Help. You don't need to copy anything separately in the HTML Help section.) |
Import the styles from the project template:
If you want to use the styles from the template project you must also import them:
| • | Go to Format - Edit Styles, select Copy Styles From... and select the H&M_Help_Template.hmx project file as the import source. Note that this will overwrite all your current styles! |
Adding your server address to the HTML template:
The HTML template displays the hyperlink to the current topic at the bottom of every page in Browser-based Help output. This makes it easy for your support staff to provide links to the appropriate help topic. To make this feature work in your own help you must update the addresses with the URL of your own server.
| 1. | Go to Project > Project Properties > Browser-based Help |OR| HTML Help > Topic Pages and select Main in the HTML template for help window type: field. |
| 2. | Locate the following code and replace YOURSERVER.com with the name and path of your own server: |
<p> </p><hr size="1"><p class="fsmall">Page URL:
<a href="http://www.YOURSERVER.com/index.html?<%HREF_CURRENT_PAGE%>" target="_top">http://www.YOURSERVER.com/index.html?<%HREF_CURRENT_PAGE%></a>
</p>
Where the graphics and other files are stored:
All the graphics and other files used by this template are stored in the Baggage section in Project > Project Properties > Common Properties > Baggage Files, which makes them automatically available in all relevant output formats.
For more details on working with the Baggage see the following topic in the help:
More Advanced Procedures > Using Baggage Files
Additional stylesheets and scripts:
For technical reasons some style definitions and script elements had to be included directly in the HTML templates. However, most additional styles and scripts are included in the following two files in the Baggage section:
| custom.css | This file contains all the additional CSS styles used for things like defining the appearance of links in your project. You can add your own styles to this if you want but please be careful not to change the existing styles. |
| nsh.js | This file contains the main JavaScript functions used for the non-scrolling headers. You can store your own JavaScript functions in this file as well if you like. |
Both files can be edited if you want to change style definitions, add your own styles or add your own functions. Just save the files from the Baggage, edit them and then reload them into the Baggage.