Entry Points

An entry point is a specific location within a help volume--usually the beginning of a topic--that can be directly accessed by requesting help within the application.

From the author's point of view, entry points are established by assigning IDs at the appropriate places within the help volume. From the programmer's point of view, entry points are created by enabling the user to request help and using the appropriate ID when a particular request is made.

There are four general ways for users to request help:

• Pressing the help key (which is F1 on most keyboards)

• Clicking the Help button in a dialog box

• Choosing a command from the application's Help menu

• Choosing On Item help