Linking to external topics

If you are creating a Microsoft HTML Help project, you can create a link that displays a topic from an external HTML Help file (.CHM). This is identified as a remote topic link or an external link.

To create an external link:

  1. In the WYSIWYG Editor, select the text or object where you want to add the link.

  2. Click Insert Hyperlink .

  3. In Link To, select Remote Topic. The Select Remote Topic dialog opens.

  4. Click , and browse to the drive/folder that contains the .CHM file.

  5. Select the .CHM that you want to link to, and then click Open. All the topics in the .CHM file are displayed in the Topic list.

  6. Select the topic you want to link to from the Topic list, and click OK.

  7. Click OK if you are prompted to copy the .CHM file into the project folder.

Notes:

  • When you distribute HTML Help files that include external topic links, you also need to distribute the other .CHM file so the remote topic is accessible when users click the link.

  • You can only test remote topic links from the HTML Help viewer (not in topic preview). This means you need to compile the HTML Help project in order to test links to external topics.

  • You can create links that open WinHelp topics. This kind of navigational component is known as an HTML Help object. For more information, see Adding WinHelp topic controls.