In Windows Help, the author implements inter-topic links by manually assigning a unique string known as a topic ID to each destination topic and then citing the topic ID within specially formatted text that defines a hot spot. Topic IDs are specified as #-footnotes but are referenced as hidden text. The reader never sees the topic ID; it is used only by the Help compiler as a destination for a jump (or pop-up) hot spot, which consists of double-underlined (or single-underlined) text followed by a topic ID formatted as hidden text. If you have ever authored a Windows Help file, you are well aware that linking topics in this manner is a time consuming and error prone process.

Doc-To-Help offers several methods for implementing hot spots. The preferred method of defining links is through D2HML. D2HML allows you to create topic links, in addition to many other types of links, quickly and easily in both Word and HTML documents. For more information, see Doc-To-Help Markup Language (D2HML). Another method you can use in Word source documents is using the Add Topic Link and Add Dynamic Link commands on the Doc-To-Help toolbar. Using these buttons, you can define links by simply highlighting the text where you want a hot spot and selecting the target from a convenient dialog box. For more information, see Links and Hot Spots.