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Help Form 4
- Thread starter janetlyn
- Start date
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janetlyn
I have never needed to do this, so there may be other methods. But one way I thought of would be this...
1. Create a Help form with the various instructions you wish to provide. Make it a pop-up form.
2. Put a Hyperlink to this Help form on any other form from which you might like to access the Help form.
It does seem to me I read something...somewhere...about a different method. If I can find it, I'll post back.
Tom
I have never needed to do this, so there may be other methods. But one way I thought of would be this...
1. Create a Help form with the various instructions you wish to provide. Make it a pop-up form.
2. Put a Hyperlink to this Help form on any other form from which you might like to access the Help form.
It does seem to me I read something...somewhere...about a different method. If I can find it, I'll post back.
Tom
janetlyn
Here's a link that may be worth looking at...
Tom
Here's a link that may be worth looking at...
Tom
- Thread starter
- #4
I like the sound of that but do you think it would be practical for 439 help buttons? Right now I have a Tab Control with each tab (sometimes sharing) with A-B-C, etc. Then on each tab page are buttons that right now are either A) opening up a form with an explanation or B) opening a message box with an explanation. Both are cumbersome and I was trying to think of a better way of doing this. My last thought was to have someone click on a label under A, for example, and it open a form with all the definitions/explanations for the A's, with the cursor going right to the one they selected. But, I am not a good programmer and do not know if this would be practical or not. That is why I decided to ask the experts. Thanks for your help. If you have any other ideas I would love to hear them. Janet Lyn
janetlyn
Yes, 439 Help buttons would be a bit ridiculous. Sounds as if the Help you are trying to deliver is more extensive than what Microsoft procides in Access!
If you have that many items, then there are several options, I guess...
1. storing everything in one common Help file, in either text or rtf format, and providing a link (command button or hyperlink) to that file
2. setting up tab controls alphabetically, A through Z, and the tab control sending the user to that letter in another form
3. there's a way to use an ActiveX balloon control, but I haven't had to use it
Later on today, I am going to fish about and if there is anything I find that I believe would be useful I'll post it for you.
In the meantime somebody else may have another, better, idea.
Tom
Yes, 439 Help buttons would be a bit ridiculous. Sounds as if the Help you are trying to deliver is more extensive than what Microsoft procides in Access!
If you have that many items, then there are several options, I guess...
1. storing everything in one common Help file, in either text or rtf format, and providing a link (command button or hyperlink) to that file
2. setting up tab controls alphabetically, A through Z, and the tab control sending the user to that letter in another form
3. there's a way to use an ActiveX balloon control, but I haven't had to use it
Later on today, I am going to fish about and if there is anything I find that I believe would be useful I'll post it for you.
In the meantime somebody else may have another, better, idea.
Tom
- Thread starter
- #6
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- #7
BobJacksonNCI
Technical User
The best approach depends a lot on the User.
I work with a varied lot and some tell me I've overdone the Help. That may be true because I still have data issues and usually it's traced back to someone who's never used the built-in Help...
If your folks just need a short hint from time to time, maybe the Controltip Text property would suffice. Building on known concepts like that can be faster and effective.
I did that, and also put a Help button on each form that opens its own tabbed form with organized information. It was quite a bit of work, and, I can't say it has paid for itself yet... One user-friendly thing I did with that is it's a click-open, click-close. Like a light switch. And then I check for and close it automatically, if needed, when other activities/records are selected.
HTH,
Bob![[morning]](/data/assets/smilies/morning.gif "[morning] [morning]")
I work with a varied lot and some tell me I've overdone the Help. That may be true because I still have data issues and usually it's traced back to someone who's never used the built-in Help...
If your folks just need a short hint from time to time, maybe the Controltip Text property would suffice. Building on known concepts like that can be faster and effective.
I did that, and also put a Help button on each form that opens its own tabbed form with organized information. It was quite a bit of work, and, I can't say it has paid for itself yet... One user-friendly thing I did with that is it's a click-open, click-close. Like a light switch. And then I check for and close it automatically, if needed, when other activities/records are selected.
HTH,
Bob
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- #8
Why not build a table with the help keywords, a brief one-line summary and a memo field with the detailed explanations?
Then, create a continous form based on the table that displays the keywords and one-line summary. When the user selects a record in the table and presses a command button or double-clicks on a record in the table, open a popup form that shows all three fields on a columnar form.
![[shadeshappy]](/data/assets/smilies/shadeshappy.gif "[shadeshappy] [shadeshappy]")
Cruising the Information Superhighway
[sub] (your mileage may vary)[/sub]
Then, create a continous form based on the table that displays the keywords and one-line summary. When the user selects a record in the table and presses a command button or double-clicks on a record in the table, open a popup form that shows all three fields on a columnar form.
Cruising the Information Superhighway[sub] (your mileage may vary)[/sub]
- Thread starter
- #9
The reason why there are so many help buttons is because I do everything from shipping to financials. This involves Access, Word, Excel, and Quickbooks. So I wouldn't necessasrily be able to use the Help on the form (although I love that idea). How did you do the click-open, click-close. About 80% of my buttons will only be an explanation of how that process is done or used. For example, if Ryan comes in and tells someone he needs an AR Detail report, there is a button in the help called that and they can open it and it will tell them to go to Quickbooks......The other 20% are much longer explanations and have already been put into forms. Maybe you are right and I am taking this too far. But, if someone is opening this program, not knowing anything about how the office is run, they should be able to find anything in the help section. This is probably not a "perfect" use of Access, but since so much of my DB is part of my work, I was trying to make it the main source of all work done. I did find some things on ActiveX and it looks like that would be perfect for what I need, I just have to figure out how to use it. HAHA. Good luck to myself. Thanks Bob and if you think of anything else (including explaining the click-on thing I would appreciate it). Have a wonderful day, Janet Lyn
BobJacksonNCI
Technical User
Janet Lyn,
Thank you for the star!
I do like your approach. And building in the documentation means it's always available and printable, too.
Following is the On Click VBA for click-on/click-off. I position the Help window to leave as much of the original form visible as possible.
Private Sub HELP_Click()
On Error GoTo Err_HELP_Click
stDocName = "~fhlp_MISSED_PUNCH"
If SysCmd(acSysCmdGetObjectState, acForm, stDocName) <> acObjStateOpen Then
DoCmd.OpenForm stDocName, , , stLinkCriteria
DoCmd.Restore
DoCmd.MoveSize 4500, 2600
Else
DoCmd.Close acForm, stDocName
Forms!frm_Missed_PUNCH.SetFocus
Me.txtDateMissed.SetFocus
End If
Exit_HELP_Click:
Exit Sub
Err_HELP_Click:
MsgBox Err.Description
Resume Exit_HELP_Click
End Sub
Following code is inserted wherever I want to automatically close the Help window, if it is open.
'IF THE HELP WINDOW IS OPEN, CLOSE IT
stDocName = "~fhlp_MISSED_PUNCH"
If SysCmd(acSysCmdGetObjectState, acForm, stDocName) = acObjStateOpen Then
DoCmd.Close acForm, stDocName
End If
Thank you for the star!
I do like your approach. And building in the documentation means it's always available and printable, too.
Following is the On Click VBA for click-on/click-off. I position the Help window to leave as much of the original form visible as possible.
Private Sub HELP_Click()
On Error GoTo Err_HELP_Click
stDocName = "~fhlp_MISSED_PUNCH"
If SysCmd(acSysCmdGetObjectState, acForm, stDocName) <> acObjStateOpen Then
DoCmd.OpenForm stDocName, , , stLinkCriteria
DoCmd.Restore
DoCmd.MoveSize 4500, 2600
Else
DoCmd.Close acForm, stDocName
Forms!frm_Missed_PUNCH.SetFocus
Me.txtDateMissed.SetFocus
End If
Exit_HELP_Click:
Exit Sub
Err_HELP_Click:
MsgBox Err.Description
Resume Exit_HELP_Click
End Sub
Following code is inserted wherever I want to automatically close the Help window, if it is open.
'IF THE HELP WINDOW IS OPEN, CLOSE IT
stDocName = "~fhlp_MISSED_PUNCH"
If SysCmd(acSysCmdGetObjectState, acForm, stDocName) = acObjStateOpen Then
DoCmd.Close acForm, stDocName
End If
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- #11
I agree with wemeier. I would use a table with keywords and a memo field for the details. You can create a form that pulls from that table and have it pop up when they select the Help button.
coachdan32
coachdan32
- Thread starter
- #12
Wow, Wemeier snuck one in on me. I completely missed that CoachDan. Thanks. I think I was reading the one above his when he wrote and then I replied and I did not go back through all the windows again, just to the bottom. As long as the explanation is below 250 words I actually think that might work well. Stars to both of you. Thanks again so much, JL
BobJacksonNCI
Technical User
JanetLyn,
Just in case you're still polishing the Help logic...
Something I just came across while locking down data entry - you could add a msgbox to a GotFocus event for a control. That would allow as much detail as you want for a complex/significant field. And, if the User made a boo-boo, you could cancel and setfocus to a different control.
Would take a lot more effort to set up, so probably only warranted where the entry is critical - and maybe where errors have already occurred in the past.
HTH,
Bob
Just in case you're still polishing the Help logic...
Something I just came across while locking down data entry - you could add a msgbox to a GotFocus event for a control. That would allow as much detail as you want for a complex/significant field. And, if the User made a boo-boo, you could cancel and setfocus to a different control.
Would take a lot more effort to set up, so probably only warranted where the entry is critical - and maybe where errors have already occurred in the past.
HTH,
Bob
- Thread starter
- #14
How does GotFOcus work? Wouldn't it be the same as OnClick? It doesn't have focus until you click on it does it? There is not going to be any inputting or anywhere for a user to mess up because the help is just buttons, when selected open a screen, which they can close if it is the wrong one, and then open the one they wanted. Maybe I missed what you were talking about. Right now I have about four of the buttons (out of 467 or so) that open a message box when the button is clicked. I'm just debating whether to continue with all message boxes, do a table as suggested above, or type it in word and it can open a word doc when a certain word is selected. Thoughts? JL
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