Linking Topics

Help Producer offers various methods of linking topic pages. Each method has advantages and disadvantages that should be considered before creating links. Most users will use a combination of methods. Help Producer supports various different kinds of links:

Hyperlinks

Using hyperlinks is the most common way of linking topics. Microsoft Word has built‑in support for hyperlinks, which can be used to create links similar to those found in web pages. Word allows you to link to headings and bookmarks.

Consider using hyperlinks if:

The topic you are linking to is located in the same help document.
You are linking to a heading or bookmark inside the help document.
You are linking to an internet web page or an e‑mail address.

Automatic links

The term "automatic link" refers to a feature in Help Producer where a hyperlink is created automatically when the text of the automatic link matches the heading title of a topic.

Consider using automatic links if:

The topic you are linking to is located in the same help document.
The topic title is the same as the hyperlink text.

Topic links

The term "topic link" refers to a feature in Help Producer where a hyperlink is created from a link and a link ID combination. A topic link works similarly to an associative link; however, the link is a regular hyperlink that is resolved when the help document is exported. Further, a topic link does not use any functionality of the underlying help system.

Consider using topic links if:

The topic you are linking to is located in the same help document.
You want to reference a topic by name.

Associative Links, A-links, or See Also Links

Associative links are used to link to a topic page by name. For instance, if you plug your help file into the MSDN library, you can link to the String class in the Microsoft .NET framework by creating an associative link with the keyword frlrfSystemStringClassTopic. An A-link keyword of a topic page is not to be confused with an index keyword. The A-link keyword is for linking only, and not visible to the end‑user.

Consider using associative links if:

You are targeting HTML Help 1.0 or Microsoft Help 2.0.
The topic that you want to link to is located in a different help file, i.e. the topic is part of a merged help project.
The location of the topic can change, for instance you are linking to the MSDN library.
The link has more than one target, i.e. more than one topic page share the same keyword.
You want to reference a topic by name.

Cross References

A cross-reference refers to an item in a document. When the document is converted, Help Producer creates a hyperlink. Cross-references are a built-in feature of Microsoft Word.

Consider using cross-references if:

You are referencing a heading or bookmark.
The topic you are linking to is located in the same help document.

In This Section

Creating a Hyperlink: Provides step-by-step instruction on how to create a hyperlink.
Creating an Automatic Link: Provides step-by-step instruction on how to create an automatic link.
Creating a Topic Link: Provides step-by-step instruction on how to create a topic link.
Creating an Associative Link: Provides step-by-step instruction on how to create an associative link or see also link.
Creating a Cross-reference: Provides step-by-step instruction on how to create a cross reference.