Using Link Databases

This topic describes how you can create external links to HTML Help systems and PDF and RTF documents using link databases.

Doc-O-Matic creates a project database for all Doc-O-Matic projects. Link databases contain Topic IDs of a Doc-O-Matic project as link targets for HTML Help, Help 2, Help Viewer, WebHelp, PDF and RTF.

You can use project databases of existing projects to create links from your current project to other Doc-O-Matic projects. Links created with databases are output independent and Doc-O-Matic verifies the link targets. For example, a link in HTML Help always goes to the matching topic in HTML Help.

To use project databases to create external links

On the View tab in the Views group, click Project Manager.
On the Manage tab, in the Files and Folder group, click Add More, and then click Add Project Database.
Add the link database of the project you want to link to (project 2) to your current Doc-O-Matic project (project 1).
In the Topic Editor click Link , and then open the Topic Picker.
In the Pick Topic dialog box, select Show link database links.
Scroll down in the list to get to the topic ID to which you want to link.
Under Type, click Native Topic.

Notes

HTML Help, Help 2, Help Viewer and WebHelp use other target IDs. To make sure that the link database contains all target IDs you are required to generate all HTML Help systems.

Advanced User Information

In addition, to your own link databases Doc-O-Matic includes prepared link databases for .NET Framework SDK and VCL. Linking to NET Framework SDK and VCL works in the same way. You can find the project databases in the Project Database subdirectory in the Doc-O-Matic directory.

To .NET Framework SDK you can only link from Help Viewer and to VCL only from HTML Help. For more information about how Doc-O-Matic resolves these links, see Resolving External Links.

Related Settings

Project Database, Link Database Options in PDF, Link Database Options in HTML