Patent ID: 6246404
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for automatically generating source code for integrating into a computer software application context-sensitive help functions for graphical control objects of the computer software application, the method comprising:providing a computer software application, wherein the computer software application comprises one or more dialog boxes, and wherein a dialog box comprises one or more graphical control objects;providing context-sensitive help information for the graphical control objects of the computer software application, wherein the context-sensitive help information comprises textual help descriptions associated with the graphical control objects;creating one or more header files about the context-sensitive help information;creating one or more map data structures for associating graphical control objects with the context-sensitive help information;displaying the header files and map data structures;editing by a help developer the displayed header files and map data structures, whereby the help developer configures context-sensitive help functions for the computer software application; andgenerating one or more source code files for the edited help header files and edited map data structures, whereby the source code files are usable by a programmer to integrate into the computer software application one or more context-sensitive help functions as configured by the help developer.