Help File and Help ContextID

[Guest]

I have created a help file using Shalom Help Maker, and I was just wondering
if anyone knew how to get it to load using a command button named cmdHelp,
where it would load the Help.hlp, Help.cnt, Help.hhp, or the Help.hhc file?
If anyone can offer me any assistance please? I have been reading online and
that was the HelpMaker most chosen because of its ease of use, and I found it
very easy to create the file, I just do not know how to call it so that it
will load on the click event in Access 2000.

 

[Bill]

If Shalom provides a way to associate topic files with the Context IDs
set in the corresponding forms and/or reports TOGETHER with the
name of the hlp or chm file that contains the desired help, then your
help should display properly when F1 is pressed.

Unlike Windows, Access has its own way of dealing with help files. I
personally don't use the Access method. Rather, I trap the use of F1
and pass the Context ID and path to the Windows API. (You might
not want to get that involved. You can post back if you're interested
in the particulars of that approach.)

Bill

 

[Guest]

I don't really understand which file to use to create an ID for but the
Shalom help maker created a .hlp file, .cnt file, .hhp file, .hhc file, and a
..chm file. The .hlp file opens up on its own as a Windows help with Contents,
Index, and Find tabs, but I don't really understand which one I would use to
attach in Access to load it. Right now I am just using a form that displays
each help topic by making it visible depending on the selection they make
from a previous "Help Topics" form. I would like further information if you
have any on how to connect it. I went onto Microsoft's Site for help on
adding it using the F1 command and I had to create map and alias files.

Thank you

 

[Bill]

Each form and/or report has in its property sheet a property
entitled "Help Context ID". There is also a property entitled
"Help File". You'll find both those properties under the "Other"
tab. The ID you decide upon will then be used to identify
which topic is to be displayed when F1 is pressed.

Example: Help File................ MyAppHelp.chm
Help Context ID.... 1000

Where MyAppHelp.chm is in the current directory path and
1000 is the ID corresponding to the appropriate help text for
the current form or report.

The MAP and ALIAS text files (or however they're handled in
Shalom) are used to map (or link by name if you will) the IDs
associated with the form/report so that when F1 is pressed the
corresponding help page is displayed for the current context.

If Shalom supports the creation of (HTML) chm files, I would
encourage you to use that format for your help.

EXAMPLE OF AN ALIAS FILE:
IDH_File_AddNew=AddNewIndividual.htm
IDH_File_ADFMain=ADFMainMenu.htm
IDH_File_DistCntr=DistributionCenter.htm
IDH_File_FRetreatDoc=FallRetreatDocuments.htm
IDH_File_IntrAndInst=Introduction & Installation.htm
IDH_File_MastList=MasterList.htm
IDH_File_MastListPrt=MasterListPrint.htm
IDH_File_MemDetails=MemberDetails.htm
IDH_File_SFPrtSupp=SFPrintSuppression.htm
IDH_File_SRetreatDoc=SpringRetreatDocuments.htm
IDH_File_TopHist=TopicHistory.htm
IDH_File_TopicNew=TopicNewSet.htm
IDH_File_Invite=InvitationProperties.htm

EXAMPLE OF CORRESONDING MAP FILE
#Define IDH_File_AddNew 13
#Define IDH_File_ADFMain 1003
#Define IDH_File_DistCntr 40
#Define IDH_File_FRetreatDoc 1001
#Define IDH_File_IntrAndInst 1
#Define IDH_File_MastList 10
#Define IDH_File_MastListPrt 12
#Define IDH_File_MemDetails 11
#Define IDH_File_SFPrtSupp 20
#Define IDH_File_SRetreatDoc 1002
#Define IDH_File_TopHist 30
#Define IDH_File_TopicNew 31
#Define IDH_File_Invite 50

Note how the IDH file name is given as an alias of the
htm topic file. Then, note how the alias name is associated
with the "context ID" that is stored in the property sheet
of the form or report to which that topic pertains.

Bill
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