I am looking for two solutions that are hopefully pretty basic, I'm not sure where in the documentation to look and I've been searching for a while with no luck. I'm pretty busy so I don't have a ton of time to read through a lot of docs to track it down right now, appreciate any help!
a) How can you add a topic to the built in ArcGIS Desktop Help? b) How to open to this page when the user clicks a 'Tool Help' button (in a 10.2 WPF add-in)? The same behavior as in a geoprocessing tool interface 'Tool Help' button.
edit: Also if this isn't the best forum to ask in please advise where would be better 🙂
To add a topic into the desktop help file you would need to edit the original document (probably unwise). I use a very good help documentation software called HelpNDoc. This software allows you to import existing CHM files. At that point you could edit it then export it back out. I've just tried this and it works but I would hesitate on this as HelpNDoc may for example loose anchors which ArcMap is relying on. I'm not saying it will but editing the definitive Help for ArcMap just sounds like its going to go wrong. I would suggest some serious testing if you do that just make sure you have not broken it. An alternative and what most would do is to create a separate CHM file and supply that with your custom tool.
I've not used WPF but I do hook into my custom help file by using the HelpProvider component, you set the name space to be your chm file and your topic. Then by putting focus on the control a user can simply press F1.
To add a topic into the desktop help file you would need to edit the original document (probably unwise). I use a very good help documentation software called HelpNDoc. This software allows you to import existing CHM files. At that point you could edit it then export it back out. I've just tried this and it works but I would hesitate on this as HelpNDoc may for example loose anchors which ArcMap is relying on. I'm not saying it will but editing the definitive Help for ArcMap just sounds like its going to go wrong. I would suggest some serious testing if you do that just make sure you have not broken it. An alternative and what most would do is to create a separate CHM file and supply that with your custom tool.
I've not used WPF but I do hook into my custom help file by using the HelpProvider component, you set the name space to be your chm file and your topic. Then by putting focus on the control a user can simply press F1.
