Extensible help facility for a computer software application
AssigneeAdobe Systems Incorporated, a Delaware corporation
InventorsGary Cohen, Michael Leavy, Michael Scarafone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Content obtained from a help file containing at least two interactive links in a sequence may be displayed in a help facility. Each interactive link may be associated with at least one user-activated step in a computer software application to perform in connection with a help topic according to the sequence so that once a user activates one of these links out of sequence, an operation in the computer software application may be invoked to effect the at least one user-activated step.
Claims24
A method comprising:
- launching a help facility associated with a computer software application;
- displaying content obtained from a help file containing at least two interactive links in a sequence, each interactive link being associated with at least one user-activated step in the computer software application to perform in connection with a help topic according to the sequence;
- receiving an input from a user activating one of the interactive links having at least one preceding interactive link in the sequence;
- and
- invoking an operation in the computer software application to effect the at least one user-activated step.
A help facility for a computer software application stored on a computer readable medium and executable on a computer, the help facility comprising:
- one or more software processes configured to perform the following operations:
- providing a graphical user interface for communicating with a user;
- launching a help facility associated with a computer software application;
- and
- displaying content obtained from a help file containing at least two interactive links in a sequence, each interactive link being associated with at least one user-activated step in the computer software application to perform in connection with a help topic according to the sequence;
- receiving an input from the user activating one of the interactive links having at least one preceding interactive link in the sequence;
- and
- invoking an operation in the computer software application to effect the at least one user-activated step.
Machine-readable instructions, embodied in a tangible medium, for causing a machine to perform operations comprising:
- launching a help facility associated with a computer software application;
- displaying content obtained from a help file containing at least two interactive links in a sequence, each interactive link being associated with at least one user-activated step in the computer software application to perform in connection with a help topic according to the sequence;
- receiving an input from a user activating one of the interactive links having at least one preceding interactive link in the sequence;
- and
- invoking an operation in the computer software application to effect the at least one user-activated step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.