December 2000: Using Browse Sequences
This Help Corner column was originally published in December, 2000, and written for RoboHELP Office Version 9.
by Char James-Tanny
Using Browse Sequences
Browse sequences enable you to create paths through your Help file for the user to follow. For example, if you have a series of topics that explain a concept, you could create a sequence of these topics to make it easier for users to proceed.
You can add browse sequences to any of the online Help formats (WinHelp, HTML Help, WebHelp 3 and 4, JavaHelp, and Oracle Help) produced by RoboHELP Classic and RoboHELP HTML.
Adding Browse Sequences to Your Projects
Incorporating browse sequences in either RoboHELP Classic or RoboHELP HTML requires two steps:
- Add the group and sequence indicators to topics. The process is different for each tool.
- In RoboHELP Classic, you create the browse groups and then assign each topic a specific sequence within the group. This information is saved in the + footnote. You can use the Advanced tab in the Topic Properties dialog box to maintain the browse sequences, or you can use the Browse Sequence Editor (which, in my opinion, is much easier). Topics can belong to only one browse group when you develop your projects in RoboHELP Classic or when creating WinHelp Help files.
You can implement browse sequences that follow the order of the topics in the individual Word files by assigning a Browse Sequence of 0 to each topic. This is the default setting for RoboHELP Classic.
- In RoboHELP HTML, you use the Browse Sequence Editor to assign topics to their browse groups and sequences. Unlike WinHelp and RoboHELP Classic development, topics can be assigned to multiple browse sequences when you use RoboHELP HTML to develop your HTML-based projects. This information is saved in the project's .brs file.
- Add the browse buttons to the Help project's window or frameset.
- For WinHelp files, make sure that the Browse checkbox under the Buttons section is selected. The browse buttons display in the button bar of the Help window (main, secondary, or when using the WinHelp 2000 view).
WinHelp Browse Buttons
- For HTML Help files, make sure that the Browse Sequences checkbox under the Tri-pane Tabs and Windows section is selected. The browse sequence displays over the content pane.
Users can use the drop-down arrow to display other browse sequences, in alphabetical order, in your HTML Help file. If the current sequence is too long for the display, the right and left arrows activate so that users can display the other topics. The Previous and Next buttons let users move between topics within a sequence.
HTML Help Browse Sequence and Buttons
When you first display the HTML Help project, the Previous and Next buttons are disabled. These buttons enable users to proceed through the topics in the browse sequence. As soon as you select a topic in a browse sequence or change to a different browse sequence, the buttons activate.
- For WebHelp 3 or 4, JavaHelp, and Oracle Help, make sure that the Browse Sequences checkbox under the In Topic Navigation Bar section is selected. The browse buttons display above the topic content.
WebHelp and Oracle Help Browse Buttons
JavaHelp Browse Buttons
Using the Browse Sequence Editor
The easiest way to add browse sequences to a project is with the Browse Sequence Editor. Select Tools | Browse Sequence Editor in either RoboHELP Classic or RoboHELP HTML. The Browse Sequence Editor dialog box displays.
Browse Sequence Editor dialog box
Topics in all folders display by default. Narrow the list by clicking the down arrow and selecting the desired folder from the list. URLs do not display in the topics list.
Browse groups always display in alphabetical order and use color coding in the compiled HTML Help file. For example, the first group uses red, which displays in a color box next to the group name and links the topics in the compiled .chm file.
There are several ways to design your browse groups and sequences:
- Select a topic from the left side of the dialog box and click the right arrow (in the middle). If this is the first topic entered on the right, an Untitled group is created automatically.
- Click the double-right arrow to copy all topics from the left to the right. If you have narrowed the list by folder, only the topics that display are copied.
- Create sequences based on your Table of Contents by clicking TOC Order. RoboHELP Classic and RoboHELP HTML create groups from the books and assign topics according to their order in the books. This option deletes any existing groups first.
Topics assigned to books aren't included in the results.
- Use drag-and-drop to copy topics from the topics list to the Browse Sequences list. Whereas groups display in alphabetical order, the topics within the groups can be in any order you choose. Use drag-and-drop or the up and down arrows to reorder the topics within a group.
- Create groups by clicking New. Untitled displays as the highlighted name of the group so that you can replace it with the desired name. If you continue to add new groups without renaming them, sequential numbers (01, 02, and so on) are added to the file name. Also, you can rename a group by selecting it first and then clicking Rename.
- Delete existing groups by selecting the group name and clicking Remove. A confirmation message displays before the group is removed. Remove topics from a group by selecting the topic and clicking Remove. No confirmation message displays.
You can press Delete instead of clicking Remove.
After designing your groups, click OK. In RoboHELP HTML, the .brs file is updated. In RoboHELP Classic, the + footnote in every topic that you manipulated in the Browse Sequence Editor is updated.
If you are using RoboHELP HTML, and if you haven't modified the tri-pane window yet, RoboHELP HTML displays a message stating that Browse sequences have been enabled in your help system. Click OK to continue.
- When you implement Browse Sequences, you must install and register HHActiveX.dll. You can copy this DLL to the same folder as the Help file or install it in C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System.
To register HHActiveX.dll:
- Select the Start button on the Windows taskbar and then select Run.
- Type regsvr32 path\hhactivex.dll, where path is the folder where the DLL is stored, and click OK.
- If the DLL is registered successfully, Windows displays the message DllRegisterServer in path\hhactivex.dll succeeded.
Most installation programs enable you to add this information as part of the installation procedure.
Copyright © 2000 Char James-Tanny.
