topic Local Help Files configuration in ArcGIS Explorer Desktop Questions

Local Help Files configuration

JeffSmith1 — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:05:15 GMT

What is the syntax for specifying if you want to use local help files? I've tried every variation I can think of... Have uncompressed the zip file to "C:\Program Files\Explorer\LocalHelpFiles". The zip file creates another folder below this, so it looks like the actual help files are in "C:\Program Files\Explorer\LocalHelpFiles\arcgisexplorer_help_en"

According to the doc, I should be using this "file:///c:/Program Files/Explorer/LocalHelpFiles" ... I've tried every variation of this with 2-3 slashes, front/back slashes etc, adding the zip file folder name, etc. Nothing works. All suggestions appreciated.

Is there a tool to look at the .ncfg file?

Re: Local Help Files configuration

MarkBockenhauer — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:16:59 GMT

Jeff,

The documentation could use some updating. While the strategy for local files may have worked at the writing of the documentation it does not work as described. There is a way to use local help though, without using http:

1. This is what needs to be entered into the Application Configuration manager.
file://<computer name>/path/to/help/folder

2. The above string will get '/en/index.html' added on to it. (if you are running in english) So you will need to create an 'en' folder and copy all of the help files into it. ... or rename the second arcgisexplorer_help_en folder in the zip to 'en'

for example: the path used to open the help when put together by the software would be file://computer/arcgisexplorer_help_en/en/index.html

The older strategy in the documentation using a drive letter, likely does not work due to updated browser security... this is just a guess on my part.

If the NCFG you are creating is for use on your local area network, by lots of people, putting the help at a central network location may work better than putting it on everyones machine. They would need to be connected to the network to see the help though.

Mark

Re: Local Help Files configuration

AndreiIvanov — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:12:21 GMT

Jeff, just to add to Mark's post:

internal code adds "\en\index.html#" to the end of your local help path. "en" part comes from install locale. Make sure to add such subfolder, otherwise, it won't work at all .So, in your case, actual help files would be in "C:\Program Files\Explorer\LocalHelpFiles\en\", and location into Application Configuration Properties "file:///C:/Program Files/Explorer/LocalHelpFiles".

Re: Local Help Files configuration

JeffSmith1 — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:07:06 GMT

Thanks Guys, but your suggestions don't seem to work. We want to put this on the local workstation so if it's taken off the network (i.e. to the field), then the user still has access to the help files.

I don't understand why "/en/index.html" is added to the string, that doesn't make any sense to me. The help should be contextual, so it should go to the htm file in "en" folder for the link I'm clicking on. Why would I want to go to the index every time?

Re: Local Help Files configuration

MarkBockenhauer — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:21:18 GMT

Jeff,

The index.html is added when you click the main help button. Other help links in the application will work as you expect.

The 'en' part if for languages. If you change to another language (arcgis explorer options) it will look for the help in a folder matching the language code.

Mark

Re: Local Help Files configuration

JeffSmith1 — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:36:27 GMT

Mark,
I can't get it to work. aivanov comments seems to contradict yours on what the syntax is. Have you done this successfully? Can you provide exact syntax? Is there a utility that can read the ncfg file? -- Thanks

Re: Local Help Files configuration

MarkBockenhauer — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:17:30 GMT

Jeff,

I attached an NCFG that I used to access local help.

I copied the downloaded help to my C drive and renamed the folder inside to "en" So, the folder path to the help files on my computer looks like this C:\arcgisexplorer_help_en\en

Using the application configuration manager I set the local help path to:

file:///c:/arcgisexplorer_help_en

When disconected from the internet, using the application configuration (NCFG) the help works.

Mark

Re: Local Help Files configuration

JeffSmith1 — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:54:16 GMT

Thanks Mark, I tried using your location for the help files and it worked so I tried to think why it would not work for me because I was essentially doing the same thing except using a different folder structure to store the help files. So, with some experimenting I found out that when setting the location in the in the configuration utility, you CAN NOT USE SPACES in the path.

file:///c:/program files/explorer/arcgisexplorer_help_en --- does NOT work

file:///c:/progra~1/explorer/arcgisexplorer_help_en --- WORKS!

Thanks for the help and Happy Holidays!

Jeff

Re: Local Help Files configuration

AntonNovichikhin — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 11:44:51 GMT

Try to eliminate all symbols "_" from the path.

For my configuration file a link to a following path worked well

//----------

file:///c:/agxruhelp

//----------

in this folder there was a folder /en, where index.htm and other localhelp files has been placed.

p.s. a following path didn't work, so don't use "_" in a path as well as simple spaces

//----------

file:///c:/agxruhelp_
//----------