Extensible help facility for a computer software application
First Claim
1. A method of providing a help facility for a computer software application stored on a computer readable medium and executable on a computer, the method comprising:
- enabling an author to generate one or more help files that specify content to be displayed and at least one interactive link, the content associated with at least one user-activated step to take in connection with a help topic, wherein the interactive link when activated invokes an operation in the computer software application via an application programming interface of the computer software application to effect the at least one user-activated step associated with the specified content if a state of the computer software application is compatible with the at least one user-activated step; and
enabling the help facility, while executing, to access the generated one or more help files upon detecting that the one or more help files exist in a predetermined location within a local file structure accessible to the help facility.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An extensible help facility for a computer software application may include a graphical user interface for communicating with a user, help files arranged in a hierarchical file structure, and software processes configured to perform operations such as (i) enabling a user to generate or modify help files that specify content to be displayed and include an interactive link that, when activated, performs an operation in the application associated with the specified content, (ii) causing the help facility, while executing, to access the generated help files upon detecting that the help files exist in a predetermined location within the hierarchical file structure, and/or (iii) causing the help facility to detect a state of the computer software application and to selectively cause an operation corresponding to an interactive link to be performed by the computer software application based on the detected state.
127 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of providing a help facility for a computer software application stored on a computer readable medium and executable on a computer, the method comprising:
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enabling an author to generate one or more help files that specify content to be displayed and at least one interactive link, the content associated with at least one user-activated step to take in connection with a help topic, wherein the interactive link when activated invokes an operation in the computer software application via an application programming interface of the computer software application to effect the at least one user-activated step associated with the specified content if a state of the computer software application is compatible with the at least one user-activated step; and enabling the help facility, while executing, to access the generated one or more help files upon detecting that the one or more help files exist in a predetermined location within a local file structure accessible to the help facility. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of providing a help facility for a computer software application stored on a computer readable medium and executable on a computer, the method comprising:
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enabling a computer software application to record a sequence of one or more user-activated operations performed within the computer software application in connection with a help topic; and enabling a user to generate one or more help files that specify help content to be presented within the help facility and at least one interactive link that, when activated, invokes an operation via an application programming interface of the computer software application to cause the computer software application to perform the recorded sequence of one or more operations to effect the one or more user-activated operations if a state of the computer software application is compatible with the one or more user-activated operations. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of controlling a help facility for a computer software application stored on a computer readable medium and executable on a computer, the method comprising:
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enabling a user to generate one or more help files that specify content to be presented within the help facility and at least one interactive link that, when activated, performs an operation in the computer software application associated with the content via an application programming interface of the computer software application; and enabling the help facility to detect a state of the computer software application and to selectively cause the operation to be performed by the computer software application based on the detected state. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. Machine-readable instructions, embodied in a tangible medium, for causing the machine to perform operations comprising:
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enable an author to generate one or more help files for a help facility of a computer software application, the one or more help files specifying content to be displayed within the help facility and at least one interactive link the content associated with at least one user-activated step to take in connection with a help topic, wherein the interactive link, when activated, performs an operation in the computer software application via an application programming interface of the computer software application to effect the at least one step associated with the specified content if a state of the computer software application is compatible with the at least one user-activated step; and enable the help facility, while executing, to access the generated one or more help files upon detecting that the one or more help files exist in a predetermined location within a local file structure accessible to the help facility. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An extensible help facility for a computer software application stored on a computer readable medium and executable on a computer, the help facility comprising:
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a graphical user interface for communicating with a user; a plurality of help files arranged in a hierarchical file structure; and one or more software processes configured to perform the following operations; (i) enable a user to generate or modify one or more help files that specify content to be displayed and at least one interactive link that, when activated, invokes an operation in the computer software application via an application programming interface associated with the specified content; (ii) cause the help facility, while executing, to access the generated one or more help files upon detecting that the one or more help files exist in a predetermined location within the hierarchical file structure; and (iii) cause the help facility to detect a state of the computer software application and to selectively cause an operation corresponding to an interactive link to be performed by the computer software application based on the detected state.
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37. A method comprising:
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launching a help facility associated with a computer software application; displaying content obtained from a help file containing at least one interactive link associated with at least one user-activated step in the computer software application to take in connection with a help topic; receiving an input from a user activating the interactive link; determining whether a state of the computer software application is compatible with the at least one user-activated step; and invoking an operation in the computer software application via an application programming interface of the computer software application to effect the at least one user-activated step if the state of the computer software program is compatible with the at least one user-activated step.
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38. Machine-readable instructions, embodied in a tangible medium, for causing the machine to perform operations comprising:
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enabling a computer software application to record a sequence of one or more user-activated operations performed within the computer software application in connection with a help topic; and enabling a user to generate one or more help files that that specify help content to be presented within a help facility and at least one interactive link that, when activated, invokes an operation via an application programming interface of the computer software application to cause the computer software application to perform the recorded sequence of one or more operations to effect the one or more user-activated operations if a state of the computer software application is compatible with the one or more user-activated operations.
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39. Machine-readable instructions, embodied in a tangible medium, for causing the machine to perform operations comprising:
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enabling a user to generate one or more help flies that specify content to be presented within a help facility and at least one interactive link that, when activated, performs an operation in a computer software application associated with the content via an application programming interface of the computer software application; and enabling the help facility to detect a state of the computer software application and to selectively cause the operation to be performed by the computer software application based on the detected state; enabling a user to generate one or more help files that specify content to be presented within the help facility and at least one interactive link that, when activated, performs an operation in the computer software application associated with the content via an application programming interface of the computer software application; and enabling the help facility to detect a state of the computer software application and to selectively cause the operation to be performed by the computer software application based on the detected state.
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40. Machine-readable instructions, embodied in a tangible medium, for causing the machine to perform operations comprising:
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launching a help facility associated with a computer software application; displaying content obtained from a help file containing at least one interactive link associated with at least one user-activated step in the computer software application to take in connection with a help topic; receiving an input from a user activating the interactive link; determining whether a state of the computer software application is compatible with the at least one user-activated step; and invoking an operation in the computer software application via an application programming interface of the computer software application to effect the at least one user-activated step if the state of the computer software program is compatible with the at least one user-activated step.
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Specification