MANAGEMENT OF CONTEXT-SENSITIVE HELP LINKS

1 . A method for management of context-sensitive help (CSH) links, comprising:

assigning a unique identifier to a CSH link in a program that links to a help system;

identifying a user interface resource that calls the help system for the CSH link;

mapping the user interface resource for the CSH link to an anchor point in the help system; and

generating a reference between the unique identifier of the CSH link and the anchor point in the help system.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier of the CSH link includes a unique CSH moniker for generating the reference to the anchor point in the help system, a CSH name that comprises a human-readable name, and a CSH type that identifies characteristics of a program context for the user interface resource.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a help system authoring tool to:

identify the user interface resource that calls the help system for the CSH link;

assign a topic for the anchor point that is mapped to the user interface; and

generate an updated help system.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning a unique identifier to existing CSH links in a program that links to the help system;

identifying for the existing CSH links, a user interface resource that calls the help system;

mapping the user interface resource for the existing CSH links to an anchor point in the help system; and

generating a reference between the unique identifier of the CSH links and the anchor point in the help system.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

analyzing the program for CSH links with unique identifiers that are referenced in the help system; and

flagging CSH links having a unique identifier that is unreferenced in the program as inoperable.

6 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

importing identifications of the user interface resources that call the help system for the existing CSH links;

assigning a topic for the existing anchor points that is mapped to a respective user interface;

generating the help system including each existing CSH link;

analyzing the help system for CSH links with a unique identifier that are referenced in the program; and

flagging CSH links having a unique identifier that is unreferenced in the help system as inoperable.

7 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions executable by a processor to cause a computing device to:

identify a context-sensitive help (CSH) link in a program that links to a help system;

register the CSH link with a unique identifier in a registration table;

generate a header file identifying a user interface resource that calls the help system for the CSH link;

map the user interface resource to an anchor point in the help system;

generate an enumeration definition file comprising a reference between the unique identifier of the CSH link and the anchor point in the help system;

use a help system authoring tool to:

import the header file identifying a user interface resource to generate an alias file;

assign a topic for the anchor point that is mapped to the user interface resource in the alias file; and

generate an updated help system.

8 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions are executable to:

prompt a first user to update the header file when a CSH link or user interface resource is removed, changed, or added; and

automatically send notification to a second user when the header file is updated.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions are executable to:

analyze the program and the help system for registered CSH links that are not mutually referenced;

indicate the CSH links that are not mutually referenced as inoperable in the registration table; and

send notification of inoperable CSH links in the registration table.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the instructions are executable to automatically repeat the analyze and indication of the CSH links that are not mutually referenced at a predetermined time period.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions are executable to build the registration table in memory using a parser.

12 . A system for managing context-sensitive help (CSH) links comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

register a new CSH link with a unique identifier in a registration table, wherein the registration table includes a plurality of existing registered CSH links in a program that link to a respective help system anchor point;

update a header file identifying, for the plurality of existing registered CSH links, a user interface resource that calls the respective help system anchor point to include a identified user interface resource for the new CSH link;

update an enumeration definition file comprising a reference between the unique identifier of the plurality of existing registered CSH links and the respective help system anchor point to include a reference for the new CSH link;

in response to a CSH link or user interface resource changing, prompt a first user to update the header file; and

automatically send notification to a second user when the header file is updated.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the memory further stores instructions that cause the processor to:

identify a CSH link registered in the registration table that is not mutually referenced in the program and the help system; and

indicate the registered CSH link that is not mutually referenced as inoperable in the registration table.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the memory further stores instructions that cause the processor to remove the inoperable CSH links from the program and the help system.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the memory further stores instructions that cause the processor to map the user interface resource to the help system anchor point.