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Launching default browser from HTML Help?

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Jeff Garbers

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Mar 25, 2005, 5:48:43 PM3/25/05

If I code an "http://" link in an HTML Help file, the help
system opens the page in HTML Help's own window. If I
specify target="_blank" it opens a new IE window. Is there
a way to get the link to open in the user's default browser
instead?

I'd really appreciate a reply via e-mail as well as here...
I'm not sure if I can find my way back here!

Thanks!

Rob Chandler [MVP]

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Mar 26, 2005, 7:50:17 AM3/26/05

The trouble is Jeff that the ability to look inside an ITS file is something
unique to IE only. Only IE could load a path like
its:C:\WINDOWS\Help\joy.chm::/cpl_joy_overview.htm

If the file was outside the CHM then that's OK. You could use a
HH Shortcut command to effectively perform a ShellExec on the
external file.

Rob

"Jeff Garbers" <jgar...@xltsoftware.com> wrote in message
news:15c101c5318c$cbb3d530$a401...@phx.gbl...

Jeff Garbers

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Mar 26, 2005, 4:21:34 PM3/26/05

I know nearly nothing about help authoring, so I don't even
know what an ITS file is...! I think my problem is simpler
than that.

The http links I'm talking about go to a web site. Say I
want a link to microsoft.com in the help file - as in <a
href="http://www.microsoft.com">Visit Microsoft</a>. How do
I get HH to launch the default browser instead of IE?

>.
>

Jeff Garbers

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Mar 26, 2005, 9:23:14 PM3/26/05

Wow... lots of fuss to get a hyperlink to work... but it works great!
Thanks very much for your help, especially for taking the time to
prepare and attach an example. I really appreciate it!

Rob Chandler [MVP] wrote:
> Sorry abou the Jagon.
> So .CHM files are like ZIP files except they are ITS file.
>
> With compiled CHM you can run a HH Shortcut command.
> (see Workshop help for more info) to run external files.
>
> Basically you would do the following:
>
> put this code in your <head> section:
>
> <OBJECT id=SomeUniqueID type="application/x-oleobject"
> classid="clsid:adb880a6-d8ff-11cf-9377-00aa003b7a11">
> <PARAM name="Command" value="ShortCut">
> <PARAM name="Item1" value=",http://www.microsoft.com,">
> </OBJECT>
>
> your links would look like this
>
> <a href="javascript:SomeUniqueID.Click()">Click me to go to
> www.microsoft.com</a>
>
> - See example attached
> - Wont work on the web
> - Only works in compressed CHM file.
> - SomeUniqueID must be a unique name for each shortcut you create in a HTML
> file.
>
> Hope it helps
> Rob
>
>

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