Where is code for F1 Help text?

[juancha]

I am translating forms which use Status bar and F1 Help text for screen
readers to make forms accessible to persons who are blind. I also use a CAT
tool called DVX which retains formatting of the base form by filtering
English text out and replacing with my translated text. Since much of the
Help text repeats the form labels for the benefit of the screen reader, I
would only have to translate once IF I could access the Help text with my CAT
filter. Where is code for these entries? What is it written in? Any
suggestions? Is it possible to export Help text or manipulate in any way?

TIA

 

[John Nurick]

Hi Juancha,

In Windows applications, F1 Help text is normally stored in compiled
form in .CHM or .HLP files. Access applications may use either of these
or a "home-brewed" system to respond to F1.

HLP is the older format, used by the WinHelp system that's vbeen
included in Windows since the early 1990s if not before.

CHM is used by the more modern HTML Help system, which in turn is used
by almost all current Microsoft software.

Inspect the form's HelpFile property. If it points to a HLP or CHM file,
that's where the help text is stored. If possible, get the developer to
provide the source file for the compiled HLP or CHM file: this is
normally in RTF or HTML format. Otherwise, search the web for
decompile CHM
or some such.

If the HelpFile property is empty, F1 help is being provided some other
way. Maybe there's a form in the database to display help, with a table
where the help text is stored.

 

[John Nurick]

My brain wasn't in gear when I wrote this. For Word things are a bit
different.

If this is a form consisting of formfields in a protected document, the
status bar text and help message are stored in the StatusText and
HelpText properties of each formfield.

If the form is a VBA Userform, the text below is relevant, except that
the HelpFile property belongs to the VBA project rather than the form.

Hi Juancha,

In Windows applications, F1 Help text is normally stored in compiled
form in .CHM or .HLP files. Access applications may use either of these
or a "home-brewed" system to respond to F1.

HLP is the older format, used by the WinHelp system that's vbeen
included in Windows since the early 1990s if not before.

CHM is used by the more modern HTML Help system, which in turn is used
by almost all current Microsoft software.

Inspect the form's HelpFile property. If it points to a HLP or CHM file,
that's where the help text is stored. If possible, get the developer to
provide the source file for the compiled HLP or CHM file: this is
normally in RTF or HTML format. Otherwise, search the web for
decompile CHM
or some such.

If the HelpFile property is empty, F1 help is being provided some other
way. Maybe there's a form in the database to display help, with a table
where the help text is stored.

 

[juancha]

John,
Thanks for your response. I know how to open add/edit status bar and F1 help
text by opening each field properties window, but I was hoping there was a
cleaner way to access the Help text itself. In this case, forms contain many
fields which repeat the form text for the benefit of the screen reader and I
have to open each properties, then Help text window to see what text it
contains, then back out, find corresponding Spanish text, go back in, and
hope the Spanish equivalent "fits" within the character limits. If not, I
create a new field and divide and insert Spanish as needed.

There has to be a better way, but I can't "see" the code attached to the
field properties Help text. Any suggestions for a better workaround?

Thanks again for any assistance you can give,

Juancha

 

[Jean-Guy Marcil]

juancha was telling us:
juancha nous racontait que :

John,
Thanks for your response. I know how to open add/edit status bar and
F1 help text by opening each field properties window, but I was
hoping there was a cleaner way to access the Help text itself. In
this case, forms contain many fields which repeat the form text for
the benefit of the screen reader and I have to open each properties,
then Help text window to see what text it contains, then back out,
find corresponding Spanish text, go back in, and hope the Spanish
equivalent "fits" within the character limits. If not, I create a new
field and divide and insert Spanish as needed.

There has to be a better way, but I can't "see" the code attached to
the field properties Help text. Any suggestions for a better
workaround?

Do you mean this kind of help:

Dim fldForm As FormField

Set fldForm = ActiveDocument.FormFields(1)

With fldForm
'If you do mt include this line, WOrd will assume that the text for the
F1 help is from an AutoText
.OwnHelp = True
.HelpText = "Help when using F1 Key"
.StatusText = "Help displayed in Status bar"

MsgBox .HelpText
MsgBox .StatusText
End With

But, if AutoText entries were used to create the Help text, try this
instead:

Dim fldForm As FormField

Set fldForm = ActiveDocument.FormFields(2)

With fldForm
MsgBox NormalTemplate.AutoTextEntries(.HelpText).Value
End With

(Of course, change NormalTemplate if needed to reflect were the AutoText is
stored)

--
Salut!
_______________________________________
Jean-Guy Marcil - Word MVP
(e-mail address removed)
Word MVP site: http://www.word.mvps.org

 

[juancha]

Jean-Guy,
Merci beaucoup. I passed your response on to some of my programming friends
for their perusal. I'm sure they will understand what to do.

Juancha