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Focal Point    Focal Point Forums  Hop To Forum Categories  WebFOCUS/FOCUS Forum on Focal Point     [CLOSED]Add Help to Web Focus Applications

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Bill
Member
posted
Hi Everyone,

Does anyone has any favorite tools or techniques for adding help to a web focus application?

Do you use third party tools and integrate them with web focus or grow you own using web focus?

Are there any built in tools for composing and adding help screens in web focus or the new portal?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: <Emily McAllister>,


WebFOCUS 7.6.8
Windows XP
excel, html and pdf
 
Posts: 4 | Registered: June 08, 2009Report This Post
Tony A
Expert
posted Hide Post
We often use an image or icon with a hyperlink to an HTML page specifically written for the requirement.

I see that you are not on WF8 (yet?) where you would simply add a new Request via the "Requests & Data sources" tab. Under "External Request" there is an option to reference an HTML file. You then need to add this to the task for the image - add it as an onclick event.

I don't have WF 7.6.8 available to me so I don't immediately have the equivalent method in that version (WF8 is quite different) but the idea would be similar - add the image, add the onclick event, but you would need to code the JS call yourself.

If you find it difficult to code JS to call an external file, search the forum for "modal window" as I posted something on how to add jQuery (to make your task easier and browser independent) to pre WF8 HTML pages and then to add a pop-up window as modal (or non-modal).

Good luck

T


In FOCUS
since 1986		WebFOCUS Server 8.2.01M, thru 8.2.07 on Windows Svr 2008 R2  
WebFOCUS App Studio 8.2.06 standalone on Windows 10 
 
Posts: 5694 | Location: United Kingdom | Registered: April 08, 2004Report This Post
Bill
Member
posted Hide Post
Thanks for the reply. We do have WF8 but I am looking for a more comprehensive solution than just to be able to reference an HTML file within Web Focus. (e.g. where do you put them, how do you organize them, how do you write them and change them later, how does the user find the help file that is relevant to them, etc.)

Right now I am exploring the Screen Steps software as an option to create and store the help articles. Still determining if I can directly access and search for the help articles from within Web Focus handling security and other issues.

Clarify is their inexpensive alternative if you only want to write the articles and export them as HTML so you could incorporate them into Web Focus.


WebFOCUS 7.6.8
Windows XP
excel, html and pdf
 
Posts: 4 | Registered: June 08, 2009Report This Post
Tim P.
Platinum Member
posted Hide Post
Bill,
My personal favorite is to use a '?' symbol of some type near where you want the help to show up. I tend to code it in js/jquery and make it a hover option so that when the user hovers over it, it gives them instructions. Jquery has a nice .ajax function that works flawlessly and gives you a ton of flexibility.

I created an excel file that contained two columns, the first column was a key field (just numeric 1,2,3 etc) and the second was the message. You can store it on the server and put meta data over it and call it from a fex. Doing it this way all you have to do is pass the fex a value of the message you want and off you go. Granted you could create a table to but this way worked as well, and the excel file was easier to create and store.

The critical thing is to make it fast so the end user isn't waiting for the help to show up.


WebFOCUS App Studio 8.2.02
Windows 7, All Outputs
 
Posts: 141 | Location: Mclean, VA | Registered: December 04, 2012Report This Post
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