I'm workong on a design package that enables developers to use design-patterns through recipes. But there's a small problem with my package at the moment. Although the overview is fine for the first start, it isn't something I like to use for further documentation on the various recipes.

Is there a method to add documentation HTML to a specific recipe, so that the developer can review that documentation before even using the recipe?

You can use the <Documentation> element (children of <Recipe>) to define documentation documents and recipe next steps, i.e.:

<Recipe Name="YourRecipeName">
<DocumentationLinks>
<Link Kind="Documentation" Caption="How to: Perform Security Code Analysis" Url="ms-help://MS.VSCC.v80/MS.VSIPCC.v80/ms.wssf.2006Dec/WSSF/html/13-310-How_to_Perform_Code_Analysis_Using_the_WCF_Security_Guidance_Package.htm" />
<Link Kind="NextStep" Caption="Generate the Service Implementation" Url="recipe://GenerateWCFServiceContractImplementation" />
</DocumentationLinks>

Note how the first <Link> element defines its Kind attribute as "Documentation" meaning this will be displayed as a link to a help document opened when the user clicks on it. The second <Link> element instead will use "NextStep" which is a link to another Recipe (note the recipe:// protocol)

All this will be displayed in the guidance navigator. There are other ways to present documentation to the users that we can discuss if what guidance navigator offers doesn't fit you.

HTH,
-Victor.

You can use the <Documentation> element (children of <Recipe>) to define documentation documents and recipe next steps, i.e.:

<Recipe Name="YourRecipeName">
<DocumentationLinks>
<Link Kind="Documentation" Caption="How to: Perform Security Code Analysis" Url="ms-help://MS.VSCC.v80/MS.VSIPCC.v80/ms.wssf.2006Dec/WSSF/html/13-310-How_to_Perform_Code_Analysis_Using_the_WCF_Security_Guidance_Package.htm" />
<Link Kind="NextStep" Caption="Generate the Service Implementation" Url="recipe://GenerateWCFServiceContractImplementation" />
</DocumentationLinks>

Note how the first <Link> element defines its Kind attribute as "Documentation" meaning this will be displayed as a link to a help document opened when the user clicks on it. The second <Link> element instead will use "NextStep" which is a link to another Recipe (note the recipe:// protocol)

All this will be displayed in the guidance navigator. There are other ways to present documentation to the users that we can discuss if what guidance navigator offers doesn't fit you.

HTH,
-Victor.

Thanks, that works beautifully

Glad its working now!

Url="ms-help://MS.VSCC.v80/MS.VSIPCC.v80/ms.wssf.2006Dec/WSSF/html/13-310-How_to_Perform_Code_Analysis_Using_the_WCF_Security_Guidance_Package.htm" />

Is this the standard scheme forthe documentation link ? Can you please throw more light on the same? Or it would be great if you could give some pointers for the same where i can find more info?

Hi,
This documentation link refers to a ms help. You can also create your own html pages with documentation and add them to the Docs folder in your Guidance Package. You can link them to the given recipe as follows:


This xml lines should be placed below start Recipe tag in recipe definition file. Linked page(s) will be displayed in Guidance Navigator window after executing given recipe.
Hope this clarifies your question.
King Regards,
Łukasz

Hi,

If I try to add a LinkKind="NextStep" it appears as a hyperlink in Guidance Navigator. Is this the way it supposed to be?

Thanks

Christian