Excel VBA - Linking .hlp help file to Function Wizard

[Jsadleir]

Hi Coders

I have written a series of vba functions and I want to provide
context-sensitive help for each of these functions from the help file
hyperlink on the function wizard. Using HelpScribble (www.helpscribble.com) I
was able to put together a .hlp help file and load the right help file page
for each individual function. (I used a .hlp file rather than the newer .chm
files because the .chm would never load properly).

My problem is that with some earlier versions of Excel (well Excel 2000 9.0)
I can only find the .hlp file if I manually unlock the VBA password
protection, go to the VBA Project's properties and click on the ... button to
direct Excel to the .hlp file. I have tried saving the .hlp file in many
different folders (windows, office, library etc) but have not found a folder
that Excel defaults to when looking for help files. I have tried entering an
absolute path in the Help File field but that does not work either.

Is there a way to do this programmatically through VBA (ie tell the VBA
project where the help file is)?

I am able to find the path to the help files using SHGetFolderPath (Shell32)
and can call a particular help topic with WinHelp (user32), but neither of
those API calls are useful if I can't detect from the VBA project the click
event that occurs when the function wizard hyperlink is clicked.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Regards

Jeremy

 

[Charles Williams]

Try something like this

Application.MacroOptions Macro:="CalcSeqCountRef", Description:="Calculation
sequence counter for the referenced cell", Category:=9,
HelpFile:=ThisWorkbook.Path & "\FastExcelUser2.hlp", HelpContextID:=309

If that does not work there is also a much more complex and troublesome
method using XLM macros & hidden namespaces etc (I have just spent 4 days
getting it to work....)

regards
Charles
______________________
Decision Models
FastExcel 2.1 now available
www.DecisionModels.com

 

[Jsadleir]

Thanks Charles - Unfortunately I was already using Macrooptions in that way
and it works perfectly to get each function's description into the function
wizard, but for some reason the Help File is never found even with the path
approach you are suggesting unless I do it manually. I'm a great fan of
MacroOptions although I wish it also had the option to include the argument
level descriptions that xlfRegister has.

Thanks for the suggestion

Jeremy

 

[Charles Williams]

Well you could add this sort of thing to the appropriate open event

ThisWorkbook.VBProject.HelpFile = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\FastExcelUser2.hlp"

but it wont work if the project is protected, and you need Trust Access to
VBProjects ...

otherwise its go for the mysteries of the REGISTER and UNREGISTER command
etc
Start with "Professional Excel development" by Bullen and Bovey
(If you go that route when you get to the help argument you will notice that
there isnt a contextid argument. Do not despair just put
\FastExcelUser2.hlp!309 )

If you want to beat the 256 character limit there is an interesting post
from KeepitCool on Dicks Kusleikas blog about using the hidden namespace
which can be made to work in 97 through 2003 (for some reason I get
duplicate entries in the 97 Function wizard).

But be warned its not for the faint-hearted.

regards
Charles
______________________
Decision Models
FastExcel 2.2 Beta now available
www.DecisionModels.com

 

[Jsadleir]

Many Thanks Charles - I'll look into all those suggestions - I know only too
well how simple problems like these can quickly rise with the ballooning
complexity of a mushroom cloud, until days later with more and more code
sprouting in all directions, and no nearer to resolution, you find yourself
on a rainy beach at midnight and suddenly realise that if the users want help
they can just open the help file themselves.

Regards

Jeremy

 

[keepITcool]

Charles,

Recent post from JKP of Daily Dose set me thinking too.
I've just mailed you my code. (Crashproof,no xlmsheet,
unloading/reloading)