Help on help!

S

swas

Hello,

I am trying to set up a basic help file for an mdb using form based help
(ie. each form can hyperlink to the appropriate page in help).

I am assuming a simple html file appropriately bookmarked would suffice.

Any searching for 'help' doesn't seem to get any results other than actual
Access 'help'.

Are there any good links to do a bit of background on best practice for
setting up this sort of thing? I do have VB6 and vb.net available, though not
proficient in these. They cover creating help files a little better, but I
need to determine what is a logical and simple way to walk into this.


Thanks in advance for any 'help'.


swas
 
C

Crystal (strive4peace)

I like to use HTML files for help as you can render them
quickly with Application.FollowHyperlink

if you want to jump to a particular place in the document,
make the spot like this:

<a name="MySpot">This is My Spot</a>

and make an internal hyperlink like this:
<a href="#MySpot">go to My Spot</a>

or an external hyperlink to the spot like this:
http://www.sitename.com#MySpot


Warm Regards,
Crystal
remote programming and training
http://MSAccessGurus.com

free video tutorials
http://www.YouTube.com/user/LearnAccessByCrystal

Access Basics
http://www.AccessMVP.com/strive4peace
free 100-page book that covers essentials in Access

*
:) have an awesome day :)
*
 
A

Alam via AccessMonster.com

I am trying to set up a basic help file for an mdb using form based help
(ie. each form can hyperlink to the appropriate page in help).
Click to expand...

Hi Swas
I had a same problem and can not found any simple solution ,HTLM file and
other fancy code is too much work . I end up using two very simple approach .
If you want to provide custom help notes for your Form(s) then

make three Lables on your form
1) AHBtn1
Width:0.4375 “
Height: 0.1875â€
Visinle:Yes
Caption: HELP
Border Style :Solid
Back Style : Normal
Back Color :16777215
Fore Color: 16711680
Special Effect : Raised

2) HBtn2
Width: 0.7188"
Height: 0.3438â€
Visible:Yes
Caption: . [just a dot]
Border Style Transparent
Back Color:16777215
Back Style : Transparent
Fore Color: 12632256
Special Effect : Flat

3) HTex
Caption : Your Help Notes
Hight : as you desire
Width: as you desire
Visible:No
Border Style Transparent
Back Color:16777215
Back Style : Normal
Fore Color: 12632256
Special Raised : Flat

Now place AHBtn1 on top Of HBtn2 then select AhBtn1 and go to tool bar
Format bring front AHBtn1

Copy Past this code in your form

Private Sub AHBtn1_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As
Single, Y As Single)
Me.HTex.Visible = True
Me.EditPtRecord.SetFocus
End Sub

Private Sub HBtn2_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single,
Y As Single)
Me.HTex.Visible = False
End Sub

That It , when user bring the mouse on HELP help note will visible and then
moves away from the
Help it will hide your custom note

Second approach is make a help switch like single form with titles and cmd
buttons for all the help topics . Cut and past all that custom note which you
made for the forms . Now each button can go to page 1,2,3 up to 15 depending
how long is your notes , on each page bottom Right cmd button
Caption Back code to goto page one
Hope this help
Regards,
H.Alam
 
S

swas

Thanks for the suggestion, but I need to be able to offer more detail than
labels can provide. I would like to include screen shots etc...


Regards


swas
 
A

Alam via AccessMonster.com

swas said:
but I need to be able to offer more detail than
labels can provide. I would like to include screen shots etc...
Click to expand...



What I learned that some time you have think out side the box . Form
designing is a Art , need lots of patience and visualizing . Think that user
does not know any think about this form or data base .
I had same situation my DB has 48 form, with complex function and user only
know how to click and need instruction for each form to fill or use , so I
made 3 options

First each Form has HELP Label which look like a button when
user bring the mouse on it , my Help label visible .
By the way label can hold up to half a page of MS Word document not just a
line or two , depending the size of your form and where you nicely place it .

I also use set focus event on HELP button so and selected field will be
deselect from behind the label Note as it is over several fields which will
shown behind the Help Note

Second my last option on my switch board is help , which open
main help form which has Several pages , using page break .
First page has 15 label which becomes bold when user bring mouse on it and
upon click it take to that page . On that page I have hyperlink for all
related screen shot . I also use doCommand to close screen if main help form
is closed .

Third I use custom menu bar for each form on that all custom
button which also open screen shot , main help form and other forms .

Hope this will give you an idea to start . It took me 2 week to finish my
help file . I recommend to start design on a paper , make easy name for each
help form and screen shorts. Use MS Word to make your main help notes and cut
and past into labels .

Good Luck
H.Alam
 
A

Alam via AccessMonster.com

swas said:
but I need to be able to offer more detail than
labels can provide. I would like to include screen shots etc...
Click to expand...



What I learned that some time you have think out side the box . Form
designing is a Art , need lots of patience and visualizing . Think that user
does not know any think about this form or data base .
I had same situation my DB has 48 form, with complex function and user only
know how to click and need instruction for each form to fill or use , so I
made 3 options

First each Form has HELP Label which look like a button when
user bring the mouse on it , my Help label visible .
By the way label can hold up to half a page of MS Word document not just a
line or two , depending the size of your form and where you nicely place it .

I also use set focus event on HELP button so and selected field will be
deselect from behind the label Note as it is over several fields which will
shown behind the Help Note

Second my last option on my switch board is help , which open
main help form which has Several pages , using page break .
First page has 15 label which becomes bold when user bring mouse on it and
upon click it take to that page . On that page I have hyperlink for all
related screen shot . I also use doCommand to close screen if main help form
is closed .

Third I use custom menu bar for each form on that all custom
button which also open screen shot , main help form and other forms .

Hope this will give you an idea to start . It took me 2 week to finish my
help file . I recommend to start design on a paper , make easy name for each
help form and screen shorts. Use MS Word to make your main help notes and cut
and past into labels .

Good Luck
H.Alam
 
C

Crystal (strive4peace)

Hi Alam,

I just tried something else based on your ideas ...

make an unbound object frame on the form with a Word Help
document as the SourceDoc -- then, when you show it, you can
size it* as well as make it visible

* that way, it can be tiny in the design view and when
needed, it can grow to accommodate what is in it.

the unbound object frame will not be visible -- and it will
be small. When Help is invoked by the user, it can become
visible and grow to the needed size.

When Enabled is No and Locked is Yes, the user cannot select
anything, just look. You can change how the user can interact.

next step -- get it to start the display at a bookmarked
location ...

Well, I would have never thought to try this without reading
your post -- thanks. While I will still use HTML for some
Help systems, this method will be handy too -- thank you :)

Warm Regards,
Crystal
remote programming and training
http://MSAccessGurus.com

free video tutorials
http://www.YouTube.com/user/LearnAccessByCrystal

Access Basics
http://www.AccessMVP.com/strive4peace
free 100-page book that covers essentials in Access

*
:) have an awesome day :)
*
 
A

Alam via AccessMonster.com

Thanks for the encouragement. It an honor that you like my approach.
Obviously your technique is professional and mine is just an amateur attempt.

Now we can safely use word document with all word goodies instead of testing
the limits of Mr. Mighty Label.
That‘s very cool.

Could you elaborate this
location ...
Click to expand...

I tried your technique but was unable to achieve word doc Grow or shrink or
Drag.

Is there any way we can also use it as a preview window in the unbound frame?
Where, when you bring the curser on it, it will grow to a larger size and
when the mouse
Moves away from the Unbound Frame it turns back to the smaller size.

I am sure with the right code we can accomplish this !

Thanks again for your response
Regards,
H. Alam
 
C

Crystal (strive4peace)

Hi Alam,

thank you <smile>

Make a small command button (cmd_ShowHelp) to show or hide
help. In this example, the name of the control with the
Word Help doc is called --> OLE_Help

'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Private Sub cmd_ShowHelp_Click()
' « = chr(0171)
If Me.cmd_ShowHelp.Caption = "«" Then
'make Help small
With Me.OLE_Help
.Width = 0
.Height = 0
End With
' » = chr(0187)
Me.cmd_ShowHelp.Caption = "?"
Else
'make Help big
With Me.OLE_Help
.Width = 5 * 1440
.Height = 3.3 * 1440
End With
Me.cmd_ShowHelp.Caption = "«"
End If
End Sub
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

you can experiment with triggering the code to enlarge and
shrink the Help differently, of course ;)

screen measurements are in TWIPS (20ths of a point)
1" = 72 points
1 point = 20 twips
1" = 1440 twips

Warm Regards,
Crystal
remote programming and training
http://MSAccessGurus.com

free video tutorials
http://www.YouTube.com/user/LearnAccessByCrystal

Access Basics
http://www.AccessMVP.com/strive4peace
free 100-page book that covers essentials in Access

*
:) have an awesome day :)
*
 

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