Help File for document? 1

[Jtorres13]

can someone give me a quick outline of what I need to do to create a help file system that is contained in one single document? I don't have VB so, can it be done within the VBA environment in Word?

My users have this super complex form they need to fill and they get lost on the field names and when to use them and when not, etc.

I want to impement a What's This type of Help where they click a phrase or field and press F1 and the Help File pops up with info.

Any help is greatly appreciated. I've Googled but all that comes up is relatd to books and how to get "help", but not how to build it.

 

[ettienne]

You need more than VBA to create help files.
Look at the ControlTipText properties of the textboxes on your form, you can set help tips that show when they hover over the fields.

 

[Jtorres13]

I know how the help file is create, but I don't know how to hook it up to my document. I downloaded the Help File Workshop from Microsoft and created a .CHM How do I connect it to my document? The document is a template with form fields, but it's not a VB form object. Can it still be done with VBA?

 

[HughLerwill]

> hook it up to my document

Using the HelpContextID property of Controls on the UserForm

 

[Jtorres13]

The fields were added with the Forms toolbar, not a VB UserForm object. Can I sitll do it? Can't figure out how.

 

[JTBorton]

Now, are you actually using Word for the form, or is this something like a Microsoft InfoPath form or a customized mailing form in Outlook? You mentioned Word, but I'm not sure if you are actually using Word or thinking about referencing to Word for the help file.

If you are using Word you can still add help text to the form control. Do this by right clicking on the control (such as a text box or check box) and then select Properties > Add Help Text. You can display the help information at the bottom of the program in the status bar or when the user presses F1. Also, type 'add help text' into Microsoft Word Help for more info.

Another option is of course to make your own help webpage and simply link to it from the form or document/spreadsheet.

-JTBorton
Well, You can try banging your head against the wall, but you just end up with lost-time injuries and damaged equipment. [M. Passman]

 

[Jtorres13]

Thank you JTBorton. Yes, it's a Word document using the Forms toolbar to add textboxes an checkboxes. After footsying with it for a while, I figure that out and set it up that way. I added "orphan" fields (wihout labels) to create additional help topics related to process and workflow. It's as close as it gets to what I wanted. Thank you for responding.

 

[JTBorton]

Now, you might have already taken this into consideration, but if not then it is something to think about. The average Joe Shmo filling out your form is not going to know to look at the bottom status bar or to press F1 for help. So you might add a nice bold line at the top of the form that says, "Press F1 for help with this form." Or something along those lines.

-JTBorton
Well, You can try banging your head against the wall, but you just end up with lost-time injuries and damaged equipment. [M. Passman]