Help redirecting ms-help:// links to Http:// links in Visual Studi   

I am deploying/installing Help 2 for all product/platform lines. We are 
successfully installing four help collections to Visual Studio 2005 & 2008 
(Overview, .NET, API, and C++CLib) . All of our links within and between 
collections work, as does F1 support.
1. But we still need to deal with the potential situation where a customer 
does not choose to install all platform collections. In this case, obviously, 
links to the collections he does not install will fail. In that case, I want 
to redirect ms-help:// links to our online  (http://)  help system.
For example, if a link to:

ms-help://Leadtools.<whatever>

is not found locally, it should redirect to:

http://www.leadtools.com/Help/LEADTOOLS/<whatever>

And search a lookup table for the path equivalent. How to do this?

2. Ideally, at time of install/Visual Studio plug-in, we would also add 
"LEAD Online" to the Visual Studio Tools...Options...Help dialog for online 
searches. Is this possible?

-- 
Documentation Manager
LEAD Technologies

date: Mon, 12 May 2008 10:47:01 -0700   author:   jpournelle youdie

Re: Help redirecting ms-help:// links to Http:// links in Visual Studi   

Interesting questions.
#1.
There is no formal way to do this that I know of.
I remember sifting through the MSDN JS source and
working out how to validate a Namespace (is namespace XXX registered or 
not).
You could do the same. Or I'd be happy to work out a trade or deal with you.
My code can also list all HxS files (titles) associated with the namespace
and return the nearest namespace (so given ms.vscc , return closest match
-- say ms.vscc.v80)

#2.
Gee I don't think so unless things have changed with VS 2008.
This gets tricky. You can create Virtual topics that point to
full topics. And these full topics can reside on the web from
memory. Their main advantage was you could make Binary
files and PDFs etc first class members of the collection. ie. Do
things like supply a meta file that has all the tags and search info
for the remote or binary file.  -- Check your Help 2 SDK help.
... Don't know :-(

But I don't think you can do what MS do and switch between local and web 
help.

Also ask both these questions in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MSHelp2
Paul O'Rear [MS] may be able to add something extra to my comments.
Please include these comments when you post there.

Cheers
Rob

-- 
Rob Chandler
MS Help MVP
http://helpware.net

"jpournelle" <jennifer@leadtools.com.spamyoudie> wrote in message 
news:9F61494E-42E5-4E0A-B730-D427F44C93B4@microsoft.com...
> I am deploying/installing Help 2 for all product/platform lines. We are
> successfully installing four help collections to Visual Studio 2005 & 2008
> (Overview, .NET, API, and C++CLib) . All of our links within and between
> collections work, as does F1 support.
> 1. But we still need to deal with the potential situation where a customer
> does not choose to install all platform collections. In this case, 
> obviously,
> links to the collections he does not install will fail. In that case, I 
> want
> to redirect ms-help:// links to our online  (http://)  help system.
> For example, if a link to:
>
> ms-help://Leadtools.<whatever>
>
> is not found locally, it should redirect to:
>
> http://www.leadtools.com/Help/LEADTOOLS/<whatever>
>
> And search a lookup table for the path equivalent. How to do this?
> 2. Ideally, at time of install/Visual Studio plug-in, we would also add
> "LEAD Online" to the Visual Studio Tools...Options...Help dialog for 
> online
> searches. Is this possible?
> -- 
> Documentation Manager
> LEAD Technologies

date: Wed, 14 May 2008 21:25:55 +1000   author:   Rob Chandler [MVP]