Creating context sensitive field help with dialog boxes (Page 3)

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Creating context sensitive field help with dialog boxes (continued)

Second, make the table "Show only one row at a time" and "Switch rows programmatically," as shown in Figure C.

FIGURE C

Set the help table properties to show one row at a time Roll over picture for a larger image.

Next, add the "Table cell control." First, give your table a name. Here I used "HelpRowNO," as shown in Figure D.

FIGURE D

Give the table a name. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Then add the control field to your help dialog form. The field must have the same name as the table and be prefixed with a "$." In this example, it would be "$HelpRowNO," as shown in Figure E.

FIGURE E

Here's the table control field on the help dialog form.

Hide this field from Notes and the Web. Strictly speaking, this field isn't required because nobody ever sees it. Your code will create the required field on the form back end, even if there's no front-end presentation. But it does make life easier for the next programmer.

Usually you reduce clutter by hiding the Help hotspots in read mode. But the above approach won't work, since your code can't set a value on the form in read mode. If you want help to show, you can use a profile document to pass the value to the dialog form. Use the format @GetProfileField ( "ProfileFormName"; "ProfileFieldName"; @username). If you leave out the @username part, you could potentially get some strange results when a lot of people use your help!

Since nobody will ever see this field on the profile document, you don't need a form for it. Just give your profile document form a fake name. Your code can cheerfully update the field, and the help dialog can read it without ever using a profile form. For example:


@GetProfileField ( "FakeProfileName"; "FieldName"; @username)

The code
I used LotusScript to call the help form in a dialog box because it's more flexible than using @formulas. The script behind the Help action hotspot is very simple.

The calling code is:


Call HelpDialog ( 1, "_Help Form MainDoc", "")

The called sub is:


Sub HelpDialog( intRow As Integer, strForm As String, strTitle As String)

%REM

=========================================================

PURPOSE

Launch the custom help form, and display the appropriate cell.



PASSED

intRow		The row on the help table that will display.

strForm		The particular help from to display

strTitle		The title of the dialog box. If nothing, this field shows the word "Help"



RETURNS

Help document in the UI



LIBRARIES USED

None



SPECIAL NOTES





HISTORY

08 Mar 01	Chris Doig	Initial version

=========================================================

%END REM 

	

	Dim ws As New NotesUIWorkspace

	Dim uidoc As NotesUIDocument

	Dim doc As NotesDocument

	

	Set uidoc = ws.CurrentDocument

	Set doc = uidoc.document

	

	'Set the row to open on the Help form

	doc.~$HelpRowNO = intRow

	

	'Set (help) dialog box title

	If strTitle = "" Then

		strTitle = "Help " & intRow

	End If

	

	'Display the help

	Call ws.dialogbox ( strForm, True, True, False, False, False, False, strTitle, , True )

	

End Sub