MS-Help links

[divil]

If possible, it would be nice to have another hack which made the forum software recognise ms-help:// links.

[Banjo]

What are they?

[divil]

The new MSDN integrates itself in to explorer, and each page/topic is accessed by a URI starting in ms-help://. It's a good way of pointing people to specific pages in their documentation.

[Thinker]

I am a bit confused how this would work? Would these links try

to open msdn on the user's computer? In my case, my internet

computer doesn't have VS.Net/MSDN installed, so that would fail.

(But I guess I could try installing the .Net MSDN alone on it.)

[Banjo]

I don't know if it does this but it would be quite cool if it checked for MSDN and if not present tried to find the page on the MSDN web site instead.

 

[edit]Oh, and what happens to people using different browsers.[/edit]

[Derek Stone]

Oh, and what happens to people using different browsers.

The link opens in Internet Explorer if you're using Mozilla (and I would assume Netscape as well). Opera chucks an error at you.

 

And yes, I would like to see ms-help links recognized. The hack would be ridiculously simple.

[Thinker]

I am still lost as to what needs to be hacked. The automatic

recognition of a mshelp url?

 

http://ms-help://MS.MSDNQTR.2002OCT.1033/dnmsdn/html/msdnstart.htm

using url tag

 

[edit]Testing changes[/edit]

Edited November 21, 2002 by Thinker

[quwiltw]

Is there anything that's available in the ms-help pages that aren't also available in the MSDN library online? If not, what's the benefit of doing this (which targets a smaller audience) over just pointing to the MSDN library (which seems like the lowest common denominator)?

[Derek Stone]

I am still lost as to what needs to be hacked. The automatic

recognition of a mshelp url?

Yeah. If it's not too much trouble. Granted, this can of course be put on the back burner. Nothing that important.

[Thinker]

The hack would be ridiculously simple.

I believe it would be - for a regular expressions expert.

For me it will only require that I become a regular expressions

expert. No big deal. ;)

[Thinker]

First attempt has been installed. Please try it out and see if there

are any problems.

[Bucky]

Is there anything that's available in the ms-help pages that aren't also available in the MSDN library online? If not, what's the benefit of doing this (which targets a smaller audience) over just pointing to the MSDN library (which seems like the lowest common denominator)?

 

The MS-Help is installed locally, so browsing for info is much faster

and less tedious.

 

Thinker, that link didn't work for me... All my help files are in

MS.VSCC, like so:

 

http://ms-help://MS.VSCC/vsccCommon/html/vsccCommon_Start_Page.htm

[Thinker]

That is because you don't have the regular .Net MSDN library

subscription version. ms.vacc is the version that comes with

visual studio. Which brings up another reason this link thing isn't

going to be as useful as other url links. Some have the library

and some don't.

[quwiltw]

The MS-Help is installed locally, so browsing for info is much faster and less tedious.

Ahhh... the beauty of high speed access. The speed difference is negligible for me. I still think my lowest common denominator point is valid.

[lebb]

I agree, but at least now folks will have the option to do it either way. :)

[Iceplug]

Hmm... I thought you threw your retirement party, lebb... .NET too appealing? :eek: :)

 

[edit]And I voted for this thread to test the voting system.[/edit]

[Thinker]

Since no one would come to her party, she just decided to call it

off. Now all we have to do is get her to actually open up her

VS.NET once in awhile. ;)

 

[edit]Looks like thread rating works just fine.[/edit]

[lebb]

:D

 

* lebb quietly throws herself a welcome-back party http://verbalclay.drunkenhyena.com/smile/bday.gif

[divil]

Awww :)

[Iceplug]

* Iceplug wonders how many smilies lebb really has...

[Banjo]

One for every occaision.