About the Help URL

This is the pattern for a typical help URL:

http(s)://AppServer/AppName/Language/culture/path-filename.html

where:

  • AppServer is the name of the server on which the help files reside.
  • AppName is the name of your application.
  • culture is the culture/language code for your language, for example en-us.
  • path-filename is the path and name of the file that contains the help topic.

    This filename is automatically generated by our help generation software. In some cases, a full module/path/filename is used, particularly in cases where topics can be invoked by a context-sensitive help call.

Configurable structure of the help URL

Each help URL can be broken down into three separate segments, like this:

Help URL - Local access

The different segments of the help URL are generated by different settings within the software for your application:

  • The first segment is set in the Configuration Manager. It is a setting in the Edit Application dialog box, on the Options tab, Help Server URL field.
    Note: The help starting page is also set here, in the Help Start Page field. This value should normally be set to default.html.
  • The second segment, by default, is set within the application, and the base path is as described for the Core application help in Locating the Help Files (Installation Paths).

    If, however, you have installed your help files in a different location (or, for example, you have a translation of the help in a different location), you can override the default base path using the Language IDs form.

  • The third segment is determined by where the call for help is coming from.

    If the user has selected the Contents and Search option from the Help menu, then the system uses the file designated in the Help Start Page field of the Edit Application dialog box in the Configuration Manager.

    Otherwise, the system uses the context-sensitive path and filename passed to it from wherever the help call was made. For example, if the user clicks the Current Form option from the Help menu, then the help topic for that form opens. If the user right-clicks a component on a form and then clicks Help on the context menu, then the help topic for that component opens.

    Note: In some cases, the component help topic is the same as the form topic.

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