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About Alias Files

An alias file is used to populate a header file with the information necessary for producing context-sensitive Help (CSH). In Flare, you can open an alias file and use the Alias Editor to create and assign identifiers for the header file. You can use a single alias file in a project for multiple header files.

An alias file has an .flali extension and is stored in the Project Organizer under the Advanced folder.

Creating and assigning identifiers means:

Creating topic IDs and unique numerical values that correspond to the different CSH Help topics that you want to include. For example, if the software application that you are documenting contains a dialog called the "Properties dialog," you might have written a topic for it called "Using the Properties dialog." To connect the actual dialog with your topic, you might create a topic ID in the Alias Editor, naming it "Properties_Dialog." Furthermore, let's say that you have already created similar topic IDs for 157 other topics and dialogs. You have given each of those topic IDs a unique number from 1 to 157. So for "Properties_Dialog," you assign number 158. Therefore, you end up with a topic ID and numerical value that looks like this: Properties_Dialog 158.
Assigning a topic (or even a bookmark within a topic) to a topic ID that you created. For example, if you have created a topic ID called "Properties_Dialog," you need to somehow link it to the topic that you want users to see when they click the Help button in that dialog. Let's say you want to link that topic ID with your topic named "Using the Properties dialog." Therefore, in the Alias Editor, you would select the topic ID, select the topic, and then click the Assign button. This "ties" the topic ID to that specific topic.
(Optional) Assigning a skin to a topic ID that you create. For example, let's say that you want most of the topics in your Help system to open in a window that is 5 inches wide and 7 inches high (as well as other characteristics). Therefore, you create a skin that contains those specifications and name it "Main." However, for CSH topics that are opened from individual dialogs or windows, you want the Help window to be only 4 inches wide and 6 inches high (as well as other characteristics). So you create an additional skin containing those specifications and name it "Dialogs." In the Alias Editor, after you create your identifiers, you can assign the "Dialogs" skin to each one.

When creating CSH, first you must add a header file to your project, then add an alias file, and then create and assign identifiers. After you create the identifiers using the Alias Editor, those identifiers and their numerical values are automatically added to the header file.

Note: If you are importing FrameMaker documents and you create topic alias markers in the source files, this file will be created automatically when you perform the import. See Creating Topic Alias Markers in FrameMaker for Context-Sensitive Help.