Chapter 14 Help Macros

Windows Help provides a complete set of functions necessary to display and navigate Help files or other hypertext documents. In addition to the standard functionality described in this guide, Windows Help also provides a set of custom commands, or macros, that let Help authors control and customize Help functionality.

This chapter describes the standard Help macros included with Windows Help and explains how to use them in your Help file. Each Help macro has a different purpose, and each can be used to improve the effectiveness and usability of your finished Help file. But the real power of Help macros emerges when you combine several macros to create unique (and sometimes amazing) features. The more creative the Help author, the more powerful the Help macros become. And if you find that the standard Help macro set falls short of your ultimate goal, you can also create your own Help macros using DLL functions to provide just the right effect for your Help file.

Before you read further, you might want to review the “Macro Quick Reference” section, later in this chapter, to see what macros are available to you.