How do you link to a Help file?

[Ray Corry]

How do you "simply" call (or activate) a Windows Help (HLP) file from within a PB/DLL program? I'm using the following code to capture WHEN the Context Help is Requested:

CASE %WM_HELP
LOCAL lphi AS HELPINFO PTR, a$
lphi = CBLPARAM
IF @lphi.iCtrlId THEN CONTROL GET TEXT CBHNDL, @lphi.iCtrlId TO a$
IF @lphi.iCtrlId>1 AND @lphi.iCtrlId<60000 THEN
MSGBOX "HELP!!! - you asked for help on control ID#" & STR$(@lphi.iCtrlId) & $CRLF & _
"The control text = """ & a$ & """",, "Context Help"
END IF
CONTROL SET FOCUS CBHNDL, @lphi.iCtrlId

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This portion of the code works just fine, and reports the propper control ID. BUT, I have no clue as to just how to call up or activate the Help file and pass just where in the file I want to be displayed? (I don't care which I can pass: a reference/bookmark number or 'Keywords' to be automatically searched to the Help file).

BTW: How do you get the BBS to keep the formatting when you paste in source code? (My posts alway look like garbage after I post any code).

Many Thanks,

Ray Corry




[This message has been edited by Ray Corry (edited February 19, 2000).]

[Borje Hagsten]

Take a look at the API call "WinHelp", plus some related calls,
"SetWindowContextHelpId" and "GetWindowContextHelpId".

If you write [code] followed by the actual code and then finish it
with the same plus a slash, "/code" in brackets, the formatting is
preserved. Note: empty lines within the code must have a single space
on them, otherwise they will be removed and the code gets harder to
read.

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[This message has been edited by Borje Hagsten (edited February 20, 2000).]

[Ray Corry]

Thanks Borje,

I now have the Windows Help Dialog launching and typing into my Application. (Still a little work to do on the Help file, but it works quite well).

My only remaining problem is that after the WinHelp is called, I don't seem to be able to set the FOCUS back to the control it was on. (Unless I put a MSGBOX after the WinHelp call). I *think* its due to the fact that my application is no longer the Top-Most Window (the Help Dialog is util its closed). Anybody have a solution to this little quirk?

Thanks,

Ray


*** The Code I'm Using looks like this ***

     CASE %WM_HELP
          LOCAL lphi AS HELPINFO PTR, a$
 
          lphi   = CBLPARAM
          HlpDlg = CBHNDL
          HlpControl = @lphi.iCtrlId

          IF HlpControl THEN CONTROL GET TEXT CBHNDL, HlpControl TO a$
          IF HlpControl>1 AND HlpControl<60000 THEN
             LOCAL hwnd AS LONG
             LOCAL lpHelpFile AS ASCIIZ * 12
             LOCAL dwData AS LONG

             hwnd = ghDlg
             lpHelpFile = "pabop.hlp"
             dwData = HlpControl

             WinHelp hwnd, lpHelpFile, %HELP_CONTEXT, dwData
'             MSGBOX "HELP!!! - you asked for help on control ID#" & STR$(@lphi.iCtrlId) & $CRLF & _
'             "The control text = """ & a$ & """",, "Context Help"
          END IF
          CONTROL SET FOCUS HlpDlg, HlpControl

---------------------------------------------------------

If I allow the MSGBOX to run the 'CONTROL SET FOCUS' works, but w/o the MSGBOX the form reverts back to 1st field/control on the screen. (Its really annoying).

Thanks Again,

Ray



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