Implementing "What's This?" WinHelp
"What's This?" Help is similar to context-sensitive Help because it provides Help related to the specific object or control that currently has focus. However, instead of invoking the Help file and displaying the Help topic in the full default-sized Help window, "What's This?" Help displays the topic in a small pop-up window that disappears as soon as the user clicks anywhere on the screen. "What's This?" Help is useful for providing brief tip-style descriptions or definitions for specific controls.
Tip Keep your "What's This?" Help topics brief and concise so that the window doesn't grow too large to obscure the feature you're describing.
"What's This?" Help
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You associate "What's This?" Help with a particular form, form control, or toolbar by setting its WhatsThisHelpID property to a number representing a specific topic in your Help file.
Use the following properties and methods to implement "What's This?" Help:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| WhatsThisHelp | Set this property to true (.T.) on a form to enable "What's This?" Help for the form and any controls on the form. |
| WhatsThisButton | Set this property to true (.T.) if you want a "What's This?" Help button to appear in the title bar of the form. |
| WhatsThisHelpID | For a form, control, or toolbar, set this property to an ID number corresponding to a topic in your Help file. |
| WhatsThisMode | Use this method to display the "What's This?" Help question mark mouse pointer and enable "What's This?" Help mode. Clicking an object displays the "What's This?" Help topic specified by the WhatsThisHelpID property for the object. |
Using a "What's This?" button
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To implement "What's This?" Help
- In design mode, open the form you want to enable "What's This?" Help for.
- Set the form's WhatsThisHelp property to true (.T.).
- To display a "What's This?" Help button in the form's title bar, set the form's WhatsThisButton property to true (.T.).
- To associate a "What's This?" Help topic with the form, set the form's WhatsThisHelpID property to an ID number corresponding to a topic in your Help file.
- To associate a "What's This?" Help topic with a specific control on the form, select the control and set its WhatsThisHelpID property to an ID number corresponding to a topic in your Help file.
See Also
Adding Context Sensitivity to WinHelp | Programming WinHelp Features | Creating Graphical Help | WhatsThisHelpID | WinHelp 4.0 | Creating .DBF-Style Help