Create custom Help

1. Create a Help file.

   How?

   1. Create the source file by using the text editor or word-processing program of your choice.
   2. Save the source file in Rich Text Format.
   3. Compile the Help file by using Microsoft Help Workshop.

2. Open the form or report in Design view.

3. Double-click the form selector or report selector to display the property sheet.
4. In the HelpFile property box, type the name of the compiled Help file.

   Note  For best results, put the Help file in the same folder as your application. That way, you can keep the setting for the HelpFile property the same for each site that uses your application, but allow users to install the application in the folder of their choice. If you omit a path setting in this property, Microsoft Access looks for the Help file in the folder where your application is installed.

5. In the HelpContextID property box for the form or report, type the number of the topic (a number other than 0) that will be displayed when a user presses F1, or clicks the What's This button and then clicks the background of the form. This topic would generally cover assistance for the whole form or report.
6. In the HelpContextID property box for each control on the form that can receive the focus, type the number of the topic that will be displayed when the user either presses F1 when the control has focus, or clicks the What's This button and then clicks the control. You must map the values set for the HelpContextID property to the context strings in your Help system. For more information, see the Help file that comes with Microsoft Help Workshop or Microsoft HTML Help Workshop.

Notes

• If a control doesn't have a custom Help topic, the custom Help topic for the form will be displayed when the user either presses F1 when the control has focus, or clicks the What's This button and then clicks the control. If there is no custom Help topic for the form, the Microsoft Access Help file is displayed.
• If you enter the context ID of the Help file topic as a positive number, the Help topic will be displayed in a full Help topic window. If you add a minus sign (–) in front of the context ID, the Help topic will be displayed in a pop-up window. It is important to note that the context ID does not have a negative number when authored in Microsoft Help Workshop. You must add the minus sign when setting the property to make the topic display in the pop-up window.

1. Open the form in Design view.
2. Double-click the form selector to display the form's property sheet.
3. In the WhatsThisButton property box, click Yes.

Note  If you add the What's This button to a form, but didn't specify a custom Help file in the HelpFile property box for the form, the Microsoft Access Help file is displayed when the user clicks the What's This button and then clicks the form or a control on the form.