Copyright: VB AHA!!! Copyright ® Craig Villalon 1993


Contents
VB AHA!!!

Introduction

Requirements

Getting Started

Overview

Registering

Press F1 to get help on using Help.

For context sensitive help select a window and press F1.


Text Setup

All changes will be previewed in the textbox at the bottom of the window. You may enter whatever text you want into that textbox to see what effect your changes will have on it.

Font Name

Choose a font from the list of all available fonts.

Font Size

Choose a font size from the list or enter your own.

Bold

The text will be bold.

Italic

The text will be italic.

Left

Left margin for the text in inches.

Right

Right margin for the text in inches.

Text Alignment

There are 3 text alignment options:
1. Left - text will be aligned to the left side of the window.
2. Right - text will be aligned to the right side of the window.
3. Center - text will be centered in the window.

Color

Click on the button that is the color that you want the text to be.


Topic

Editing

Toolbar

Click on any Toolbar button below for further info on it.

All of the text field buttons in the toolbar may be right clicked with the mouse to edit their default values.

Add text or graphics to your topic

Click on one of the toolbar's buttons in the first group or select the appropriate Edit menu item to add a text field or graphic to the end of your topic. To place it above an already existing field drag the toolbar button that you want over the field and release the mouse button.

Delete a text field or graphic from your topic

Drag the trashcan button over the text/graphic that you want to delete and release the button. (text fields may also be deleted if they have the input focus and you either click on the trashcan or you select the Delete menu item).

Changing defaults for any field

When you right click with the mouse on any field in the topic a menu will be displayed which you may choose an option from. See menus below.

Menus


Topics List

New

This creates a new topic and brings up the Topic Setup window.

Delete

Removes a topic from your project.

Edit

This will bring up the Topic Setup window for the topic selected in the list.

View

This will open the selected topic so you may edit it. You may also just double click on the topic you want to view in the list to open it.


Topic Setup

Name

This is what you will use to refer to this topic in the rest of your project. The Topic name must not have any spaces in it.

Title

This is the topics name in the compiled help file, it is what you will see in the History window and the lower pane of the search window.

Browse Sequence

This is used to construct the browse order for the browse buttons to use. Generally you can just let VB AHA!!! handle this for you.

Build Name

You may give each topic a build name that will allow you to selectively compile only those topics that are in your Build Expression (Options|Project...).

Keywords

These are the word(s) that will appear in the top pane of the search window that will allow you to find this topic. Only use one keyword per line. Keywords may be any number of words each examples: "Setup", "Getting Started", etc... (Don't use the quotes though).


Project Setup

Any time you need to select a file you may click on the "B" button to the left of that textbox to browse your drives for the file you want.

Root Directory

This tells the help compiler where to find the files to make your help file.

Graphics Directory

This tells the help compiler where to find the graphics in your help file (It already looks in the Root Directory that you selected).

Error Log File

Name of the file that you want the help compiler to write any errors that it finds to.

Icon

Icon that that you want displayed when your help file is minimized. Leave blank to use the defualt icon.

Title

Text that you want displayed in the title bar of your help file.

Contents Topic

Topic that will be shown when your help file is first displayed and that can be returned to by pressing the contents button at the top of the help window.

Copyright Notice

Text that you want displayed in the about box for the help window.

Global Font

Font that you want your entire help file to use (in case you used a font while designing your help file that cannot be distributed or that you decide you don't want to use).

Map Font Size To...

Allows you to map a certain font size or range of font sizes to a different font size. You must put only one per line and in order from smallest to largest like this:
6-10:10
11-15:12
18:16
with these mappings and fonts in your project that are of size 6 to 10 will now be changed to size 10, sizes 11 to 15 will be changed to size 12 and size 18 will be changed to size 16.

Build Expression

Tells the help compiler which topics to include in the final help file. Just leave blank unless you only want to compile topics with a certain Build Tag.

Compression

1. None - no compression. (fastest during compile)
2. Medium - average compression.
3. High - all out attempt at compressing the help file (slower during compile but will generate smaller help files than the other options).

Report

1. None - no status report during compile.
2. Status - reports the status of the help compiler's progress.

Warnings

1. Severe - reports only severe errors.
2. Moderate - reports moderate and severe errors.
3. All - reports all errors and warnings.


Picture Setup

Picture

This is the filename of the picture that you want to use. You may use .BMP or .SHG pictures in a help file (If you use a .SHG you must have the .BMP for that picture in the same directory and with the same name as the .SHG if you want to be able to see it while designing your help file. Example: you want to use the file named OPTIONS.SHG so you need to have the file OPTIONS.BMP in the same directory.) You may click on the "B" button to browse for a picture. Whatever picture that you select will be shown in the bottom portion of the window.

Left

This is the left margin in inches for the picture.

Right

This is the right margin in inches for the picture.

Alignment

This is how the picture will be aligned.
1. Left - aligned to the left side of the help window.
2. Right - aligned to the right side.
3. Center - centered in the help window.


Build Options

General

Include Pictures

Includes all .BMP and .SHG files that are in your project into the compiled help file. Leave this option unchecked while you are working on your project, (the Help Compiler will work much faster that way), and only select this option for the final build.

Min. During Build

Minimizes VB AHA!!! while it is writing the data files necessary for the Help Compiler. This option is only useful if you are working on a very large help file that will take awhile to build.
Note: VB AHA!!! does not stay minimzed while the Help Compiler is compiling your help file though.

Global Links

Use Default Color

The user selected text color is used instead of the regular JumpTo or Popup text color for all globally linked text.

Whole Word Only

Global text links will only be made to whole words. (ex: "Build Option" will only link to "Build Option" and not to "Build Options". Deselect this option if you want it to link to both.)

Browsing

Browse Buttons

Include the browse buttons in your help file. («  and » )

Default Layout

VB AHA!!! will construct and standard layout for the browse buttons to use. Deselect this option if you want to use your own layout.


VB Options

Forms

This is a list of all Form types that are in Visual Basic. If you have any new types of forms that are not included in the Standard or Pro versions of Visual Basic then you must add their form type name to this list. (the name will be given in the Properties window of Visual Basic)

No HelpContextID

This is a list of all the controls that do not have a HelpContextID. You need to add to this list if you have any new controls not included in the Standard of Pro versions of Visual Basic that don't have this property. You must use the name of the control type as given in the Properties window of Visual Basic.

Import

These are what VB AHA!!! will create its topics from. Generally you will want to only Import the Forms Only, one exception is stated below under Export.

Export

These are the topics that VB AHA!!! will export back into your Visual Basic program. Select Forms Only if you want the context sensitive help to open the help file to a topic that will give help on the whole form. TIP: Import "Forms and Controls" and Export "Forms Only" if you want to use .SHG files on your forms.

.Mak File

This is the location and name of your Visual Basic programs .Mak file.

Visual Basic

This tells VB AHA!!! where to find Visual Basic so that it may recompile your .Mak file using the new HelpContextID's that it setup.

Keep all old HelpContextID's that aren't remapped

Select this to keep any old HelpContextID's that aren't remapped by your projects topics. If you don't select this then VB AHA!!! automatically removes all your old HelpContextID's that aren't remapped by your projects topics.


Global Text Link Setup

Global Text to Link

This is the text that will be linked to the Topic that you choose throughout your help file.

Topic Name to Link To

This is the Topic that will be linked to the text that you choose throughout your help file.

Link Type

There are 2 types of links that you may give to your Global Text Links.
1. Jump To - when you click on the text in your help file the topic in the main window will change to the "Topic Name to Link To".
2. Popup - when you click on the text a second window will be show containing the "Topic Name to Link To" until you click the mouse button again.


Global Text Links

Topic Link

This is the topic that the selected entry is linked to.

Link Type

There are 2 types of links that you may give to
your Global Text Links.
1. Jump To - when you click on the text in your help
file the topic in the main window will change to the
"Topic Name to Link To".
2. Popup - when you click on the text a second
window will be show containing the "Topic Name
to Link To" until you click the mouse button again.

New

Creates a new Global Text Link.

Delete

Removes the selected Global Text Link from your project.


Layout
Layout of Help file

This window displays the layout of your help file by first showing your contents topic at the top. Below that it has each topic that is linked to the contents topic (these are indented once to the right). This continues with each of these topics until the entire layout of your help file is displayed (like a tree, the contents topic is the root and all of it's linked topics are the branches etc....).

Example Layout

Contents
Introduction
Starting
Overview
Menus
File
Edit
Options
Toolbar
Glossary


Introduction

    VB AHA!!! is an inexpensive and easy to use utility for writing Windows help files. You won't need any expensive wordprocessors or have to use any crptic commands. With simple mouse clicks and Drag n Drop ease you will be able to construct your help files quickly.

    If you use Visual Basic then VB AHA!!! will handle all of the HelpContextID values for you and even recompile your programs with the new values. No more hassles of having to insert the values by hand! If you program in C/C++ then VB AHA!!! will create a .H file containing all of the #defines that you will need for context sensitive help in your programs.

    For information on using VB AHA!!! read Getting Started and Overview.


Getting Started

Creating New Topics

    Click on the New button in the Topics List window or the main toolbar button of a window. Doing this will bring up the Topic Setup window, fill in whatever info you decide to use for your topic and select Ok. You now have a new empty topic.

Adding Text/Graphics to a Topic

    Click on one of the toolbar buttons in the first group of the topic window to add a Text field (the first 7 buttons) or a Graphics field (the last button of the first group) to the bottom of the topic. If you want to add a new field somewhere other than the bottom then you can drag the toolbar button to the field that you want the new field to be placed above.

Deleting Fields

    To delete a text field you can:
1. Drag the trashcan toolbar button onto the field that you want to delete and drop it.
2. Select the field and click on the trashcan.
3. Select the field (without selecting any text) and press Ctrl-D.
    To delete a graphics field you can:
1. Drag the trashcan onto the field that you want deleted and drop it.

Keeping Your Changes

    To keep the changes that you have made to the topic you may either select the Topic|Store menu item or the Close item from the control menu (button in the upper left of the topic window).

Discarding Your Changes

    To discard your changes to the topic you can select the Topic|Discard menu item.

Saving Your Work

    To save the work that you have done you may either click on the toolbar button of a disk(in the main window) or select the File|Save menu item (also in the main window). If this is a new project then you will be presented with the standard windows dialog to select a filename for your project.

Creating a Help File

    You must use PIFEDIT.EXE on HC.PIF to tell it where your HC.EXE file is located. Fill in the Project Setup window and the Build Options window first. Then select All form the Build menu.


Registering

Read the file REGISTER.TXT for information on registering VB AHA!!!.


Overview

Build Options

Global Text Links

Global Text Link Setup

Layout

Menus

Picture Setup

Project Setup

Text Setup

Topics

Topic Setup

Topics List

VB Options


Copyright
Visual Basic Automatic Help Author

                              Version 1.00

       Copyright ©  Craig Villalon 1993


Deletes the selected text field. Drag over any field (text/graphic) and release to delete that field.


Creates a Title text field at the end of your topic. Drag and drop it on any field (text/graphic) to create the new field above that one.


Creates a Subtitle text field at the end of your topic. Drag and drop it on any field (text/graphic) to create the new field above that one.


Creates a Heading text field at the end of your topic. Drag and drop it on any field (text/graphic) to create the new field above that one.


Creates a Normal text field at the end of your topic. Drag and drop it on any field (text/graphic) to create the new field above that one.


Creates a Small indented text field at the end of your topic. Drag and drop it on any field (text/graphic) to create the new field above that one.


Creates a Jump To text field at the end of your topic. Drag and drop it on any field (text/graphic) to create the new field above that one.


Creates a Popup text field at the end of your topic. Drag and drop it on any field (text/graphic) to create the new field above that one.


Creates a Graphic field at the end of your topic. Drag and drop it on any field (text/graphic) to create the new field above that one.


Menus

File

New - Clears any project currently in memory and lets you start a new one.

Open - Opens a project that is on disk.

Save - saves the current project to its current file. If it is a new project then VB AHA!!! will bring up the Save As... dialog.

Save As... - brings up a dialog box so you can choose a name to save this project as.

Text - C writes a .H file for C programmers that contains #defines for context sensitive help. Visual Basic writes a .BAS file for VB programmers that contains constants for context sensitive help (This isn't really necessary since VB AHA!!! handles all of that for you).

Exit - quit VB AHA!!!

Topic

Set Global Link...

VB

Open... - Creates topics for VB AHA!!! based on a Visual Basic .Mak (one topic for each form and one for each control if you select that option in the Options|Visual Basic... menu). This will erase any topics that already exist in this project.

Append... - as Open except that your old topics will not be erased.

Save - saves the HelpContextID's to your Visual Basic program.

Build

All - builds the support files, the Visual Basic .Mak file (if you selected a .Mak file to use) and compiles the help file.

Support Files - build the .RTF and the .HPJ files for the Help Compiler.

Help File - compiles the help file with the Help Compiler. Be sure to use Pifedit.exe to tell HC.PIF where to find your Help Compiler.

VB .Mak - compiles your Visual Basic .Mak file.

Options

Build...

Project...

Visual Basic...

Window

Topics

Global Links

Layout

Help

Contents - Shows the contents of this help file.

Search - Brings up the Search window for this help file.

About VB AHA!!! - Brings up the About window for VB AHA!!!.


Topic Menus
Menus

Topic

Store - closes this topics window and stores its data in memory.

Discard - closes this topics window and ignores any changes that you made to the topic.

Edit

Cut - removes the selected text from the text field and stores it in the clipboard.

Copy - copies the selected text to the clipboard.

Paste - copies the text in the clipboard to the current location in the text field with the focus.

Delete - if there is selected text in the text field with the input focus then it is deleted otherwise the text field is deleted.

Select All - selects all of the text in the text field with the focus.


Requirements

You must have the following files:
HC.EXE - the Microsoft Help Compiler. Only needed to actually compile the Help file, you can still design it without this program.
VBRUN300.DLL - the Visual Basic runtime library.
SHED.EXE -  Microsofts .SHG file editor. To make graphics that have hotspots (buttons) on them. Not really necessary.
to use VB AHA!!!.


   If you don't already have VBRUN300.DLL then you can get it from almost any BBS that carries windows programs or from Microsofts BBS.

Microsoft BBS phone # 1-206-936-6735


   If you don't already have the Microsoft Help Compiler you may get it from Microsofts BBS.

Microsoft BBS phone # 1-206-936-6735

Or when you register if you leave me a note that you need it, I will send it to you. Please note that this is a Microsoft program and that I am not selling it. I am sending the Microsoft Help Comiler to anyone who requests it free of charge and only as a convenience to my customers (so they don't have to waste their time, and money for a long distance call, to get the Microsoft Help Compiler) I will not even recover the cost of sending it, as it will be placed on a seperate disk from the one containing VB AHA!!! that I am not charging the user for.

PS: Just wanted to make that clear :-)