So.
This whole help file business looks like a very complicated way to do something very simple. Not surprisingly it seems to go wrong a lot and fixing it when it breaks needs a lot of computer programming knowledge.
Maybe I should need to word that differently. Hang on, .. __ let me take a quick swig of my Microsoft 'Kool Aid' __ then I will begin.. _...
If I may, just to avoid confusion. I will use the term “Bugg y feature” to refer to what rational thinking says is a Bug and what when drugged up on Microsoft 'Kool Aid' appears as a neat feature.
Microsoft Help Text aka “Help” “Feature” and “Buggery features”
Aka , as applied to this Thread..
What is HelpFile:= HelpContextID:= about
It is impossible for me ( or anyone I expect ) to guarantee to walk you through a working demo of getting the “Pop up” box optional argument parameters of HelpFile:= HelpContextID:= to do what ever it is that they are supposed to do.
The reason for this is that the “Buggering Features” are too many and varied.
Anyway_....Microsoft have a “Help” system, ( Sometimes referred to loosely as “Help” ). Crudely this could be considered as an alternative to writing some explanatory notes in a media such as a text file, or Word document or as in a supplied user manual.
It has the interesting “feature” that in order to master it and use it you will become, or need to be, at a fairly confident level or programming and general computer knowledge. You may need constant access through the internet to get help and advise onto how to maintain the system , that is to say make it continually work, as changes , such as Microsoft updates, will result on additional things needing to be done as time goes on. One of the major “feature” therefore is its Volatility…. And / or it often does not work
A useful tip I have learnt when looking for general information on this Microsoft help through the internet is to include extra terms such as “problem” or “not working”. Without these terms it proved almost impossible to get ay information on the Theme, but with those terms, a great deal of information was obtained allowing for possibility of using up many hours of time in the many interesting actions that may likely to be needed in order to make the Help work, and or repair the damage done to many other things in the initial attempts. These include adding and removing security updates, and manipulating registries and the such both manually and with computer programs calling up many API codes.
Here we go,
Help text Window Feature and “Buggary features”
Most things “Help” or of the help nature in Microsoft uses similar looking Windows. When, for example you is in the VB Editor ( Alt+F11 from Excel spreadsheet ) Window looking at code, you can highlight a word in the code, hit F1, and then such a Help Window comes up
HelpApplicationHelp.JPG : https://imgur.com/ZAXUHmW
So there could be some thinking behind the “Microsoft Help” as a (bad) attempt to bring it all together in some organised way.
.chm Files ( getting them to work/open)
These are the files used as the “raw data” in whatever hidden software takes these files and uses them in some process to get those help windows up. They contain some sort of compressed data of coding written in some variation of the HTML language.
It is likely you may have some .chm files, as the Microsoft Help Text aka “Help” is likely have been used / integrated into some software that you may have on your computer
You may find some ( in Vista and Win 7 ) if you click on the bottom left Microsoft sign and then type in _ chm _ in the small search box.
Here are some also that I made or found earlier https://app.box.com/s/bx2pkvtemsppscz60rd6f430wm89c6fj https://app.box.com/s/varm2k1ojlwwtemnefuhhnym1d84bcxs
It is impossible for me to guarantee to walk you through a working demo of getting the HelpFile:= HelpContextID:= to do what ever it is that they are supposed to do. One of the “Buggering Features” that may prevent getting a successful use of Help is that security updates from Microsoft may intentionally or unintentionally prevent a .chm file from operating as initially intended.
Solutions to this problem range from one extreme to the other.
_ One extreme is major heart surgery to registry files, along with a possible need for application of additional software.
or
_ If you are lucky some of the following may be all you need to ensure that a .chm file will work as it should:
Try out a .chm first( sometimes you need to have done this to make other workarounds work fter you find out that it doesn’t work )
After finding or downloading such a file, navigate to it in its folder , and make a note of its path and file name. ( In the Microsoft Explorer window you may be able to copy the path to the clipboard
chmFolderPath.JPG : https://imgur.com/5Si2HIq )
So for that example shown you need to make a note of the following path and file name ( remember the extra \between the two ) :
G:\Excel0202015Jan2016\ExcelForum\UserForm\samplehelp.chm _ ‘This is the sort of Help File string that you will need
Now try either of the following:
_(i) Double click on the file in the Window Explorer window
or
_(ii) Run this code ( change the Help File string to suit what you have as a .chm File )
As a result of doing either of those a Help Window Thingy may or may not come up. If it does come up, it may give an error , that is to say something in the largest window to the effect of one or more things. Here a couple, with workarounds:Code:Sub HelpGetItUp() Application.Help HelpFile:="G:\Excel0202015Jan2016\ExcelForum\UserForm\samplehelp.chm" End Sub
Buggery Internet Error Feature 1:
i Navigation to the webpage was canceled.
__ What you can try:
__ .- Retype the address.
Workaround:
If that error is obtained it may mean that some form of blocking has been done by some sort of security measure. If this has happened an extra option will now be seen towards the bottom of the general settings in the Properties Window which you see by right clicking on the file in the Windows Explorer Window and selecting _ Properties
chmUnblock.JPG : https://imgur.com/ObMrbOy
Hit _ Unblock.
After doing this, the (i) or (ii) should result in a normal looking Help type Window.
Note:
_ It may initially be necessary to make the attempt of the (i) or (ii) , or otherwise you may not see the option _ Unblock.
_ Strangely it is sometimes necessary to have done the above workaround in order to avoid other problems later. So it is sometimes advisable to try and get this Buggery Internet Error Feature. One way to achieve this is to upload and then download the .chm file to a trusted file sharing site such as box.net ( https://account.box.com/signup/n/personal#rw1w0 )
Buggery Internet Error Feature 2:
A similar “Internet Error” window may show:
ThisProgramCanNotDisplayTheWebPage.JPG https://imgur.com/NduujoY
i This Program Can Not Display The Web Page
Workaraound: WARNING: Do this at your risk. You are messing with dangerous stuff
via left bottom Microsoft symbol_ regedit.exe_ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
regeditHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.JPG https://imgur.com/MHAggqH
_ SOFTWARE --- Microsoft
SOFTWAREMicrosoft.JPG https://imgur.com/n5TnD1b
HTML --- 1.x --- right click mouse _ Neu --- Key
HTMLHelp1_xNewKey.JPG https://imgur.com/z7QnvCV
Name the new folder that appears as _ ItssRestrictions
ItssRestrictions.JPG https://imgur.com/nDyE9tL
right click mouse _ Neu --- DWORD (32-bit) Value
Name the new folder that appears as _ MaxAllowedZone
Double click on that to get an edit Window
EditDWORD32bitValue.JPG https://imgur.com/07AAqu1
Give a value of _ 4
Refresh your computer somehow
(**** Edit: 25Jan 2018: .. another possible Registry modification reported, but have not tried it as have not needed it yet )
3_ Buggery Features 3
See next post for another way to get over the “Help” thing usually not working
_.________________
Back not to the original Thread question:
_ Application.InputBox(Prompt:= , Title:= , Default:= , Left:= , Top:=, HelpFile:= , HelpContextID:= , Type:= ) Method
Coming back to the Theme of this Thread.
As noted , to avoid the extra complication for now of the “Application.InputBox Buggery features” , I am considering a slightly different thing
__ InputBox(Prompt:= , Title:= , Default:= , Left:= , Top:=, HelpFile:= , Context:= )
__( Note the slight syntax difference between Context:= and HelpContextID:= ) Function
One main part of the Thread question ( what are those two options supposed to do ) can now be [Solved]:
Two possible ways to “launch” a .chm help file where discussed ( (i) and (ii) )
A third way (iii) is possible.:- Many of the “Pop up User Info getting / giving Window” stuff have the option to allow a button to “launch such a file” …
Typically the Options are like
The main option:
_ HelpFile:= _________ --- _______ The full path and file name of the .chm file
A second option:
_ HelpContextID:= or Context:= _ --- _A number that takes you to a particular part or section of the main text
_ For InputBox _ it appears the Context:= is not optional.
_ For Applcation.InputBox and for Application.Help _ it appears that HelpContextID:= is optional. (But it is not too clear with the case of Applcation.InputBox due to the additional “ Application.InputBox Buggery features”)
_ For InputBox it appears that no Button for help must be specified: it will appear if HelpFile:= and Context:= are given. ( There is no option to add buttons anyway here )
_ For MsgBox the button option (buttons:=vbMsgBoxHelpButton ) must be given or the Help Button will not appear. ( But if the (buttons:=vbMsgBoxHelpButton is not given and the helpfile:= and context:= are given and valid, then the code line will not error )
_ For Applcation.InputBox it would appear that one of the “Buggery features” is that no Help Button comes up. ( But then..Nothing to do with the Help seems to work for Excel 2007+ with Applcation.InputBox _ – That is a “feature” of it .. “Bugger me feature”
The next post will attempt to make a .chm file. But will also have to tackle possible further “Buggery features”
Ref:=
InputBox ( Prompt:= , title:= , default:= , xpos:= , ypos:= , helpfile:= , context:= ) ) ' If helpfile is provided, context must also be provided. Button comes then automatically.
MsgBox ( prompt:= , buttons:= , title:= , helpfile:= , context:= ) ' If helpfile is provided, context must also be provided . _ For the required Button buttons:=vbMsgBoxHelpButton must be given
Application.InputBox ( Prompt:= , Title:= , Default:= , Left:= , Top:= , HelpFile:= , HelpContextID:= , Type:= ) ' “Buggery Features”: In Excel 2007 + Left:= , Top:= , HelpFile:= , HelpContextID:= can be anything and are ignored
Application.Help HelpFile:= , HelpContextID:= ' , HelpContextID:= is optional
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...e-was-canceled
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...(v=vs.60).aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gdGpnCCFWM
**** http://www.winfaq.de/faq_html/Conten...?h=tip2026.htm
https://powerspreadsheets.com/excel-vba-inputbox/
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks