Online Help

[Grey Old Man]

Does anyone have any experience of creating documentation accessible through
the Excel Help menu item?

I have successfully created a series of Excel 2002 templates and wish to
create a user guide for them. My work environment prohibits downloads or
specialised software, so RoboHelp, etc is not an option.

My initial thoughts are to write a macro that opens a Word document full of
hyperlinks. Has anyone been more creative?

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[CLR]

I frequently create "Menu Sheets" for my Excel applications. Using Drawing
Objects and/or icons and assigning macros to them. No need to go to Word.

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3

 

[Grey Old Man]

Sorry, not sure what you mean by "Menu Sheets" and "Drawing Objects". What
format are they in?
I am OK assigning macros to custom menu items.

I put together "a few notes" to create a draft Word user guide, but this
(with screen captures) is already 50 pages!

 

[Chip Pearson]

There is nothing in Excel or Office that facilitates the creation of
help files. You could write the help as a Word document and then
create a PDF from that, using Adobe or compatible software. If you
really want to do it right, you'd need a dedicated help system
authoring/editing application. I use Help & Manual 5 for creating help
files and find it very easy to use.

Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP 1998 - 2010
Pearson Software Consulting, LLC
www.cpearson.com
[email on web site]

 

[Dave Peterson]

This may not work for you.

John Walkenbach shows a way to use a userform to display text kept in a
dedicated worksheet:
http://spreadsheetpage.com/index.php/tip/C29
(look for "Displaying Help")

I've found that nobody but me will read the help that I wrote anyway. So I
wasn't going to invest time in learning how to create that .hlp/.chm stuff.

You may want to create the word document for your own use and distribute a copy
to your users. But I don't think that will stop the phone calls <vbg>.