Sometimes you may need to allow users to link to a specific topic within your Flare system from an external source. This can be done using two elements required by a context-sensitive help system known as a Header and an Alias file. You don’ t need to know a lot about them, just follow the instructions below.
Create the Header and Alias Files
From the Project Organizer, expand the Advanced folder. If there is a header and an alias file, skip to step 9; otherwise, begin here:
- Click Project…Advanced.
- Select Add Header File.
- In the File name field enter the word header.
- Click the Add button.
- Click Project…Advanced.
- Select Add Alias File.
- In the File name field enter the word alias.
- Click the Add button.
Create an Alias for each Topic
Each topic you would like to provide a link for will need an Alias.
- From the Project Organizer, expand the Advanced folder.
- Double-click the alias file. The Alias editor opens.
- Under the Identifier column click CHANGE_THIS.
- Enter the name for the Alias. This is the name that will become part of the URL. It can be anything, but its a good idea to keep it short and sweet.
- From the Topics pane on the right, select the topic you’re creating the alias for.
- Click the Assign button. Notice the path of the topic appeared in the Topic column.
- Repeat steps 1 thru 6 for each topic for which you need a URL by clicking the New Identifier button in place of step 3 above.
And the URL is . . .
yourprojectpath/default_csh.html#aliasname
Replace yourprojectpath with the path to your project. Replace aliasname with the name of the alias from step 4 above.
The key is that you’re launching default_csh.html rather than default.html, which is the normal file to load a Flare project. The _csh string indicates Context Sensitive Help — remember that from the beginning of the lesson? You may want to learn about context sensitive help if you’re not already familiar with it, but you don’t need to know a thing about it for this exercise.
The other key thing to note is the # between the filename and the aliasname. That’s important.
Also, you could add a | symbol to have the topic launched in a different skin. Using the same example:
yourprojectpath/default_csh.html#aliasname|skin