context-sensitive help   

I have a context-sensitive help file I want to implement in a Visual Studio 
..NET application. I was hoping to configure the help file so that when the 
user clicks F1, a small yellow popup appears with some information. However, 
all I am currently able to accomplish is to have an entire topic in my help 
file appear.

The problem with this is that the topic's window size remains constant 
regardless of the length of text, so for text that is relatively small, the 
window looks huge. I believe that if I were to find a way to configure small 
yellow popups, the window would autosize according to the content size.

Traditionally, one creates this context sensitive help by linking to a text 
file where topics are defined (such as ".topic 1004") and then the text 
appears beneath it. Then a header file defines the topic numbers with the 
field definitions. There are instructions in Robohelp for doing this for C 
and C+ applications, but nothing for Visual Studio .NET.

Anyone know anything about how to do this? Thanks,

Tom

date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 17:51:29 -0400   author:   Tojorisin

Re: context-sensitive help   

Hello Tom,

> I have a context-sensitive help file I want to implement in a Visual Studio
> .NET application. I was hoping to configure the help file so that when the
> user clicks F1, a small yellow popup appears with some information. However,
> all I am currently able to accomplish is to have an entire topic in my help
> file appear.
>
> The problem with this is that the topic's window size remains constant
> regardless of the length of text, so for text that is relatively small, the
> window looks huge. I believe that if I were to find a way to configure small
> yellow popups, the window would autosize according to the content size.
>
> Traditionally, one creates this context sensitive help by linking to a text
> file where topics are defined (such as ".topic 1004") and then the text
> appears beneath it. Then a header file defines the topic numbers with the
> field definitions. There are instructions in Robohelp for doing this for C
> and C+ applications, but nothing for Visual Studio .NET.
>
> Anyone know anything about how to do this? Thanks,

I point to some URL for Visual Basic. Net but If you are a C# Programmer you can
find the classes:

http://www.help-info.de/en/Visual_Basic_net/vbnet.htm
http://www.help-info.de/en/Visual_Basic_net/vbnet_popup.htm

There is a download example (needs Framework 1..1) to start the exe from the
/bin folder (see section Download) und further information to external links.

You can see how to use the HTMLHelp API call for context-sensitive Help in the
example application menu "?".

Using topic ID's is difficult - see my web site. Call good old HTMLHelp API or
use a workaround for a .NET call (bugfix is coming in .NET 2.0) see:
http://weblogs.asp.net/kencox/archive/2004/09/12/228349.aspx

HTH - or post again here.
Best regards
Ulrich Kulle
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date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 21:14:17 +0200   author:   Ulrich Kulle infoREMOVE##