How do you add user tips on documents and databases?

[Helen Allen]

Hello all,

I work in a Human Resources office with a dozen other
people who know less than I do about Microsoft Office,
(and I don't know much). All of us use Access databases
to track our data, and we all need to merge print from
Word to these databases. Since I am 'perceived' as the
expert, I spend a lot of time trying to help the others
set up merge print documents, and even more time
unsnarling these documents.

Is there any way I can create a customized set of
instructions, in each document, (or a document template),
to help other users who don't have many computer skills,
to merge documents to their databases? Or should
instructions be inserted somehow into the Access database?

I am desperate and any help will be greatly appreciated.
I have spent the past 2 days fixing another person's
database and documents. My work is falling way behind!
I have NO programming knowledge. Thanks!

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Helen,

I guess the best "where" to put the help would depend on
where the users usually are when they need the help? In Word
or in Access?

Do you have any idea/thoughts about how/when the Help should
be displayed or available? There are a number of
possibilities...

I work in a Human Resources office with a dozen other
people who know less than I do about Microsoft Office,
(and I don't know much). All of us use Access databases
to track our data, and we all need to merge print from
Word to these databases. Since I am 'perceived' as the
expert, I spend a lot of time trying to help the others
set up merge print documents, and even more time
unsnarling these documents.

Is there any way I can create a customized set of
instructions, in each document, (or a document template),
to help other users who don't have many computer skills,
to merge documents to their databases? Or should
instructions be inserted somehow into the Access database?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun
8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any
follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Helen Allen]

Hi Cindy,

Thanks for the response. Answer is "both" I guess. They
need to enter a keyword to designate which employees
should get a certain letter or document, and the name of
the document must be entered into the document fields,
(or changed for subsequent documents).

Then there should also be tips in the document on how to
update the query when necessary. Hope you have some
ideas.

The biggest problems seem to be caused by the users,
(without any database skills), remembering what to do and
when. These are the kinds of prompts I would like to
provide in tip format.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Helen,

Answer is "both" I guess. They
need to enter a keyword to designate which employees
should get a certain letter or document, and the name of
the document must be entered into the document fields,
(or changed for subsequent documents).

Then there should also be tips in the document on how to
update the query when necessary. Hope you have some
ideas.

The biggest problems seem to be caused by the users,
(without any database skills), remembering what to do and
when. These are the kinds of prompts I would like to
provide in tip format.

By "tip format" do you mean a "tooltip" (something that pops
up when the mouse hovers over something)? For Access, that
would need to be done in the Access form. You should find a
"ControlTipText" property for each control on a form where
you can type in a short instruction.

It would be possible, as well, to create a new Form with a
label and type your "Help" into that. Put another button on
the data form that simply opens this "Help" form. Other than
that, you should ask in an Access group.

On the Word side, you could add COMMENTS to the document to
display "tooltips" when the mouse hovers. Another oft-used
approach is to format instructions in a color, and as
"hidden" text so that it doesn't print.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun
8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any
follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Guest]

Cindy,

You have given me the answers I need. I think your
suggestions will solve my problem. I think I will start
on Monday setting up the databases to have tips based on
a command button that will bring up the instructions, and
I will try the hidden text in the documents.

Thank you very much