Using HTML Help to Author a Web Site

This content is no longer actively maintained. It is provided as is, for anyone who may still be using these technologies, with no warranties or claims of accuracy with regard to the most recent product version or service release.

There are two ways to use HTML Help functionality when authoring Web sites. You can:

• Use the HTML Help ActiveX control or the HTML Help Jscript applet to implement navigation to documents on your Web site by using a hierarchical table of contents tree control or an index.
• Use HTML Help Workshop to create a compiled HTML Help file, and then create URLs to display HTML pages from the compiled HTML Help file in Internet Explorer.

To implement navigation by using the HTML Help ActiveX or the HTML Help Jscript applet, you first create the HTML files and other documents you want to use from your Web site. Then you use HTML Help Workshop to create a table of contents and index files to navigate to your documents. Finally, you insert the control or applet in a Web page and use it to display the table of contents and index you created. Typically a Web site authored by using the HTML Help ActiveX control or Jscript applet uses a custom frameset to produce similar functionality to the freestanding HTML Help Viewer.

Displaying an HTML page from a compiled HTML Help file requires only that you format the appropriate URL to open and display the HTML file.

In This Section

• Using HTML Help Features from a Custom Frameset
  Framesets are a way of specifying multiple independent regions, called frames, within a browser window.
• Working with the HTML Help Jscript Applet
  If you must have compatibility with browsers that do not support ActiveX controls, you can add HTML Help functionality to Web pages by using the HTML Help Jscript applet.
• Using a URL to Open a Page in a Compiled HTML Help File
  You can use a URL to open an HTML page in a compiled HTML Help file from Internet Explorer or an Office hyperlink.

Related Sections

• Adding Help to Your Custom Application
  Reduce the amount of time required to train and support users of your applications by adding online Help to your Microsoft® Office XP application.
• What Is Microsoft HTML Help?
  Microsoft HTML Help is Microsoft's online Help authoring system.
• Adding Help to Your Office Application
  Adding online Help to your Microsoft Office application can reduce the amount of time required to train and support users of your applications.