Abstract: Content obtained from a help file containing at least two interactive links in a sequence may be displayed in a help facility. Each interactive link may be associated with at least one user-activated step in a computer software application to perform in connection with a help topic according to the sequence so that once a user activates one of these links out of sequence, an operation in the computer software application may be invoked to effect the at least one user-activated step.

Abstract: An extensible help facility for a computer software application may include a graphical user interface for communicating with a user, help files arranged in a hierarchical file structure, and software processes configured to perform operations such as (i) enabling a user to generate or modify help files that specify content to be displayed and include an interactive link that, when activated, performs an operation in the application associated with the specified content, (ii) causing the help facility, while executing, to access the generated help files upon detecting that the help files exist in a predetermined location within the hierarchical file structure, and/or (iii) causing the help facility to detect a state of the computer software application and to selectively cause an operation corresponding to an interactive link to be performed by the computer software application based on the detected state.