Commandbarbutton Help location?

[N1GHTEYES]

Hi all. How do I insert the What's This help caption into commandbarbuttons?

I've written an addin that I want to share with my colleagues. I've sorted out procedures for the installation and maintaining an associated commandbar. However, I want to give them a help file. Now, a full help file is not something I've yet faced, and I'm finding it a bit daunting. BUT, as a halfway house I'd like to be able to write the comments which appear when the user clicks "What's This" on the XL help menu, then clicks on the commandbarbutton.

For example, if I look at the What's This help for the standard "label" button, on the "Forms" toolbar, I get a pop-up comment which says:

Label (Forms toolbar)
Creates a text label on a worksheet, or in a dialog sheet, or in a chart.

This is pretty much what i want to be able to do for the buttons of my toolbar, but I'm not sure what commandbarbutton property to use to insert this description. I tried the description text, but that was not it. I've tried the help, but it is not too helpful. Any pointers would be gratefully received. Thanks

Tony

 

[N1GHTEYES]

Sorry, I ought to have clarified that I'm working in Excel (Office 97 if it matters), and running on XP.

 

[CBasicAsslember]

I think this is what your looking for.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/112632

 

[TonyJollans]

No, the What's This Help text is in a .hlp file somewhere. I'm afraid I don't know where, nor how to create your own. What I do know is that it has been removed from Office 2007 and doesn't work in earlier versions of Office under Windows Vista (see

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607)

so is probably not a route which one should be taking now.

Enjoy,
Tony

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[N1GHTEYES]

CBasicAsslember: thanks, that did have some interesting info, but, as Tony points out it was not actually what I was after.

Tony: It is likely to be quite some time before I have to worry about our software getting up?graded to Vista. At best, our IT moves at the pace of a frisky glacier. So, do you have any suggestions where I might start looking for more info? Or are you saying that to do what I want requires writing a help file anyway, so is not much use as a halfway house measure?

Tony

 

[TonyJollans]

What's This Help seems to be in (old) WinHelp (.hlp) files but it may be possible to create them as (newer) HTMLHelp (.chm) files, I don't know. I think you need to set the HelpFile property of the button to the name of the help file you create and, possibly, the HelpContextId to something but I'm afraid I don't know any more than that. I have just Googled it but didn't come up with anything immediately. Maybe someone else here knows more about how to do it or it may be worth asking in a Windows Forum.

Enjoy,
Tony

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We want to help you; help us to do it by reading this: Before you ask a question.

Professional Office Developers Association

 

[N1GHTEYES]

Thanks for the help - no pun intended. I guess it pretty much looks like I'll need to write a help file then. Oh well I suppose I had to one of these days.

Tony