[AccessD] Context sensitive help

[John Colby]

Do you have a class and table that you'd like to share?

On Mon, Oct 25, 2021 at 5:59 PM Anita Smith <anita at ddisolutions.com.au>
wrote:

> Paul
>
> Yes, you got that exactly right. Sorry you had to read between the lines.
>
> I also agree that help is more about company procedures. I do start off
> the topics on some of the forms that provide access to
> extensive/complicated data processing.
>
> It takes me max an hour to set up using the system table to create a table
> of forms - drop a button on each form - job done.
>
> The user can click the button on any form and read about the form
> functionality, office procedures and whatever they deem necessary.
>
> Anita
>
>
>
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Paul Wolstenholme <Paul.W at industrialcontrol.co.nz>
> Date: 26/10/21 8:09 am (GMT+10:00)
> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving <
> accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Context sensitive help
>
> Anita,
>
> Attempting to read between the lines, I think you are saying that each of
> your forms that has a help button will have its own help topic and that
> certain users can create and edit the text of the topic - even if you
> haven't provided the initial text.
>
> I also find that the help often needs to be more about company procedures
> than it does about operating the database tool we provide them.  That makes
> us unqualified to invent all that they want to read and suggests that help
> with user input should work better.
>
> Paul Wolstenholme
>
>
> On Tue, 26 Oct 2021 at 09:43, Anita Smith <anita at ddisolutions.com.au>
> wrote:
>
> > Paul,
> >
> > Most of my database applications are self explanatory. I don't see any
> > need for extensive help files explaining 'things' .
> >
> > Some forms however, require some explanation. Especially in relation to
> > the office procedures for the users. Hence, I let them write their own
> > topics where they deem necessary. This consist of a help button that when
> > pressed, fires a function that opens the help form specific to the screen
> > they are on. This 'Help' form is open to Admin or other nominated staff
> to
> > edit as they see fit.
> >
> > This gets me off the hook when they ask for help files - I'm not doing
> > help files - I've been there and done that and nobody reads them. An
> utter
> > waste of my limited time on this planet.
> >
> > Anita
> >
> >
> >
> > -------- Original message --------
> > From: Paul Wolstenholme <Paul.W at industrialcontrol.co.nz>
> > Date: 26/10/21 6:35 am (GMT+10:00)
> > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving <
> > accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
> > Subject: Re: [AccessD] Context sensitive help
> >
> > Anita,
> >
> > I am interested.  Especially when you write "users can write their own
> ...
> > help topic".  What is a topic and how does this relate to forms?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Paul Wolstenholme
> >
> >
> > On Wed, 20 Oct 2021 at 11:21, Anita Smith <anita at ddisolutions.com.au>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > As I'm simply too lazy to write extensive help files I've devised a
> > system
> > > where I have a help table of form names with a memo (help) field. I
> > > populate this from the system objects when I've completed the
> > application.
> > >
> > > I then dump a small help button on each screen that fires a function to
> > > open a form displaying the help record for the current form.
> > >
> > > I start by writing help topics for the most complicated forms to kick
> it
> > > off. I leave the help form open for edit so the users can write their
> own
> > > notes/help topic as they go along. I also use rich text in the help
> field
> > > to make it look more professional and allow them to highlight etc.
> > >
> > > Makes sense? If not I'll elaborate more if you are interested.
> > >
> > > Anita
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -------- Original message --------
> > > From: John Colby <jwcolby at gmail.com>
> > > Date: 20/10/21 3:17 am (GMT+10:00)
> > > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving <
> > > accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
> > > Subject: [AccessD] Context sensitive help
> > >
> > > ...In a galaxy far far away there was a help compiler which MS
> > > discontinued.
> > >
> > > Is anyone building context sensitive help with the new HTML help
> system?
> > > Does it actually respond to F1?  Discuss whatever control / form the
> > cursor
> > > is in?
> > >
> > > --
> > > John W. Colby
> > > Colby Consulting
> > > --
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-- 
John W. Colby
Colby Consulting