Context Sensitive Help (CSH)

TYPO3 offers a full API for adding Context Sensitive Help to backend modules and - especially - to all database tables and fields. CSH then appears either as a help icon in the docheader (for modules) or as a popup on field labels when editing database records. The text is meant to help the user understand what the module does or what the database field means.

CSH for the "Title" field

Viewing the context sensitive help of the "Title" field of the "pages" table

When hovering over a help icon or a field label with CSH, the cursor transforms into a question mark. Clicking on the element triggers the appearance of the popup window.

If the CSH contains more information, the bubble help displays a small icon after the text (as in the screenshot above). Clicking on that icon opens a popup window with lengthier explanations, possible enriched with images.

Popup help window

Popup help window for the "Subtitle" field of the "pages" table

Clicking on the "Back" icon at the top of the popup window leads to a table of contents of all the available CSH.

Popup help window with TOC

Popup help window with the table of contents of all available help topics