---
title: "Options (Environment - Help - General Page)"
ms.custom: seo-lt-2019
ms.date: "01/19/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: "sql-tools"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: ssms
ms.topic: conceptual
f1_keywords: 
  - "VS.ToolsOptionsPages.Environment.Help.General"
ms.assetid: deaf23d6-6cbe-4984-ab09-71d2a7ba06c8
author: "markingmyname"
ms.author: "maghan"
---
# Options (Environment - Help - General Page)
[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-asdb-asdw-pdw-md](../../includes/appliesto-ss-asdb-asdw-pdw-md.md)]
Use the **Options** dialog box to choose documentation sets and decide whether to display topics internally in [!INCLUDE[msCoName](../../includes/msconame_md.md)] [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] [!INCLUDE[ssManStudio](../../includes/ssmanstudio-md.md)] or externally in a separate window. To access this dialog box, click **Options** on the **Tools** menu, expand **Help** in the **Environment** node, and then click **General**.  
  
> [!NOTE]  
> Changes made to the options on this page do not take effect until the environment is restarted.  
  
## Settings  
**Show Help using**  
Specifies how Help is displayed. Select **External Help Viewer** from the drop-down list to display topics in an external floating window. Select **Integrated Help Viewer** to display Help topics in a Web browser window docked inside [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] [!INCLUDE[ssManStudio](../../includes/ssmanstudio-md.md)].  
  
**Search results per page**  
Specifies the number of topics that are displayed on a single **Search Results** page.  
  
**Show topic abstracts**  
Specifies whether an abstract for each topic is shown in the **Search Results** list and on the **How do I** tab.  
  
**Reuse topic window**  
When this check box is selected, specifies that Help topics display in the same window so you can navigate among topics using the **Back** and **Forward** buttons. When cleared, this check box specifies that a new window is opened for each topic.  
  
**Highlight search terms**  
Specifies whether search strings are highlighted within **Search Results** topics for local Help.  
  
**Online topic Language**  
Specifies the language with the highest priority in the results list for searches that return results in multiple languages.  
  
**Also show English topics**  
Specifies that English topics are returned in addition to the language selected in the **Topic Language Preference** box.