Help2 Interface

The interface that supports Document Explorer.

Namespace:  Microsoft.VisualStudio.VSHelp80
Assembly:  Microsoft.VisualStudio.VSHelp80 (in Microsoft.VisualStudio.VSHelp80.dll)

Syntax

'Declaration
<GuidAttribute("78413D2D-0492-4A9B-AB25-730633679977")> _
Public Interface Help2 _
    Inherits Help
[GuidAttribute("78413D2D-0492-4A9B-AB25-730633679977")]
public interface Help2 : Help
[GuidAttribute(L"78413D2D-0492-4A9B-AB25-730633679977")]
public interface class Help2 : Help
[<GuidAttribute("78413D2D-0492-4A9B-AB25-730633679977")>]
type Help2 =  
    interface
        interface Help
    end
public interface Help2 extends Help

The Help2 type exposes the following members.

Properties

  Name Description
Public property Collection Returns the name of the current collection loaded. (Inherited from Help.)
Public property Collection Infrastructure. Microsoft Internal Use Only.
Public property Filter Gets or sets the collection filter. (Inherited from Help.)
Public property Filter Gets or sets the collection filter.
Public property FilterQuery Returns the filter query string for the current Help collection filter. (Inherited from Help.)
Public property FilterQuery Returns the query string for the current Help collection filter.
Public property Help Used for compatibility with DTE2, when used as Windows.External, Help2 object returns itself. (Inherited from Help.)
Public property Help Used for compatibility with DTE2, when used as Windows.External, Help2 object returns itself.
Public property HelpOwner Gets or sets the help owner. (Inherited from Help.)
Public property HelpOwner Infrastructure. Microsoft Internal Use Only.
Public property HxSession Returns the HxSession object. (Inherited from Help.)
Public property HxSession Infrastructure. Microsoft Internal Use Only.

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Methods

  Name Description
Public method AskAQuestion Displays a URL based on the supplied flag.
Public method CanShowFilterUI() Do not use. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method CanShowFilterUI() Deprecated method.
Public method CanSyncContents(String) Determines if a URL can be synchronized to or not. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method CanSyncContents(String) Determines if a URL can be synchronized to or not.
Public method Close() Closes the Microsoft Document Explorer window and all of its pages. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method Close() Closes Document Explorer and all of its pages.
Public method Contents() Selects the Contents navigation window and opens it if it is closed. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method Contents() Selects the Contents navigation window and opens it if it is closed.
Public method DisplayTopicFrom_OLD_Help(String, UInt32) Provides support for .chm and .hlp files. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method DisplayTopicFrom_OLD_Help(String, UInt32) Deprecated method. Use DisplayTopicFromF1Keyword instead.
Public method DisplayTopicFromF1Keyword(String) Provides F1 Help for a modal or non-modal dialog box. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method DisplayTopicFromF1Keyword(String) Displays Help for F1 and from dialog boxes.
Public method DisplayTopicFromId(String, UInt32) Finds and displays the first topic defined by the supplied F1 keyword and context help ID. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method DisplayTopicFromId(String, UInt32) Deprecated. Use DisplayTopicFromF1Keyword instead.
Public method DisplayTopicFromKeyword(String) Performs a lookup by using the K-keyword index. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method DisplayTopicFromKeyword(String) Performs a lookup by using the K-keyword index.
Public method DisplayTopicFromURL(String) Displays a help topic specified by the URL in Document Explorer. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method DisplayTopicFromURL(String) Displays a Help topic specified by the URL in Document Explorer.
Public method DisplayTopicFromURLEx(String, IVsHelpTopicShowEvents) Displays a help topic in Document Explorer and triggers a specified event after the topic has been loaded. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method DisplayTopicFromURLEx(String, IVsHelpTopicShowEvents) Infrastructure. Microsoft Internal Use Only.
Public method DisplayTopicFromURLEx2 Displays a Help topic in Document Explorer that is based on help display flags.
Public method Favorites Displays the Favorites tool window.
Public method FilterUI() Displays the user interface to create, edit, or delete filters. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method FilterUI() Deprecated method.
Public method GetNextTopic(String) Given a URL returns the next URL in the table of contents. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method GetNextTopic(String) Given a URL returns the next URL in the table of contents.
Public method GetObject(String, String) Infrastructure. Microsoft Internal Use Only. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method GetObject(String, String) Infrastructure. Microsoft Internal Use Only.
Public method GetPrevTopic(String) Given a URL returns the previous URL in the table of contents. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method GetPrevTopic(String) Given a URL returns the previous URL in the table of contents.
Public method HowDoI Shows the How Do I window.
Public method Index() Selects the Index window. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method Index() Selects the Index window.
Public method IndexResults() Selects the Index Results window. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method IndexResults() Selects the Index Results window.
Public method InitializeSettingsToken Infrastructure. For Microsoft Internal Use Only.
Public method Search() Selects the Search dialog box. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method Search() Selects the Search dialog box.
Public method SearchEx Selects the Search window and optionally fills the Search dialog box with a term or executes a search for a specific term.
Public method SearchResults() Selects the Search Results window. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method SearchResults() Selects the Search Results window.
Public method SetCollection(String, String) Loads a Help collection into Document Explorer. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method SetCollection(String, String) Infrastructure. Microsoft Internal Use Only.
Public method SyncContents(String) Synchronizes the table of contents to the supplied URL. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method SyncContents(String) Synchronizes the table of contents to the supplied URL.
Public method SyncIndex(String, Int32) Looks up the topic specifies by the K-keyword but does not display the topic in Document Explorer, unless specified. (Inherited from Help.)
Public method SyncIndex(String, Int32) Looks up the topic specified by the K-keyword, but it does not display the topic in Document Explorer, unless specified.

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Remarks

Help2 supports How Do I, Search, and Favorites. It is the main entry point for accessing Document Explorer (Dexplorer.exe).

How you obtain the Help2 object depends on the application.

In non-VSPackages:

  • The Help2 object is a child of DTE in its object hierarchy and can be accessed by using the late-bound DTE.Help property. To access Help2 in an application that is not an add-in or a macro, you must obtain an instance of DTE, which is illustrated by the following example:

    EnvDTE.DTE dte;
    dte = (EnvDTE.DTE)System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetActiveObject("VisualStudio.DTE.8.0");
    Object helpobj  = dte.Help;
    
  • In an add-in you can obtain the Help2 object directly:

    Microsoft.VisualStudio.VSHelp80.Help2 help2 = 
    (Microsoft.VisualStudio.VSHelp80.Help2)dte.GetObject("Help2");
    

In a VSPackage:

  • You obtain the Help2 object through SVsHelp service:

    Microsoft.VisualStudio.VSHelp80.Help2 help2;
    // Obtain the Help2 object from SVsHelp service.
    help2 = 
    (Microsoft.VisualStudio.VSHelp80.Help2)
    this.GetService(typeof(Microsoft.VisualStudio.VSHelp.SVsHelp));
    

See Also

Reference

Microsoft.VisualStudio.VSHelp80 Namespace

Other Resources

How to: Use a VSPackage Tool Window to Display a Help Topic

How to: Use an Add-in to Display Information About a Help Topic

How to: Use a Macro to Display Information About a Help Topic