HTML Help

Understanding HTML Help

The Help files are built using the Microsoft HTML Help system. HTML Help files are displayed in a browser-like window, with a three-paned Help window. This differs from the full version of Internet Explorer with all its toolbars, favorites lists, and icons visible to the end user. In HTML Help, the top pane contains the toolbar, the left pane contains the navigation methods, and the right pane displays the topic—with all the functionality of the browser intact. Anything you can display in Internet Explorer can also be displayed in HTML Help. The navigation pane contains the Contents, Index, Search, Favorites, and Glossary tabs. By clicking topics in the Table of Contents, the Index, or Favorites, you can locate topics within the Help library. From the Search tab, you can locate every occurrence of a word or phrase that may be contained in any topic. The glossary tab is used for terms and words used within the application.

Viewing Topics

In a topic, you can click underlined words to see other information related to the topic.

To link to another topic, link to a web page, link to a list of other topics, or link to an application, click the colored underlined words.

To select other topics containing related information, click the underlined words, "See Also," which may appear at the beginning of a topic, and then click the title of the topic you want to view.

To see whether a word or phrase contained in a topic is in the Index, select (highlight) the word or phrase and press F1.

When searching for topics, use Boolean operators to refine your search.

If you are viewing content from the web in the topic pane, use the Stop and Refresh buttons on the toolbar to interrupt a download or refresh the content.

Graphical Information

The following icons are used within this Help system: