Help with Help

[pdevries]

I've created a CHM file for my app with popup topics. I've made a reference to the CHM file in the Project Properties section of my app and I've set all the HelpContextID numbers for the context sensitive help--I've also noticed that the What's This button doesn't seem to want to show with a sizable form so I've added a What's This? menu item and used the .WhatsThisMode method. The problem is that the only response I'm getting from the app where the help is concerned is an error message saying that it can't open the help file. This error is only occuring on a form that has a fixed border with the What's This button on the captionbar. I'm not getting any response whatsoever on the main form. Any ideas? I can't even get the file to open using the ShellExecute API eventhough it is a registered file type and I can double click on it to open it using Explorer.

[John G Duffy]

I have managed to do this.
'
Set the .CHM file in the project properties as you do.
Set the Borderstyle to Sizeable like what you want
Set the WhatThisButton to True.
Set the WhatsThisHelp to true.
Set the WhatsThisHElpID in the control (textBox , etc) you wish to use WhatsThis to a ID associated in the .CHM file (1,2,3,4,etc).
SET THE FORMS .MIN and .MAX PROPERTIES TO FALSE
and that should do it.
Run the program
Click the ? in the Forms title Bar then click the effected control.
'
This setup works for Me.

John G

[pdevries]

Thank you but unfortunately that doesn't work for my particular situation. I still need the min and max buttons visible. I solved that problem (more or less) with adding a menu item in my Help menu and having that call the WhatsThisMode method of the form. The problem that I was trying to figure out is how to get the app to recognize the help. So far it either gives me an error saying the help file was not able to be opened or it just doesn't do anything.

Also, I'm looking for how to set the Contents index in the help file. I'm using HTML Help that ships with Visual Studio and I can't seem to find where to set it (I'm still fairly new to the help stuff).