AppHelp Info

Help Systems in Windows Forms

One of the most important assistance you, as a developer of applications, can furnish your users with is a competent Help system. This is where they will turn when they become confused or disoriented. Providing a Help system in a Windows-based application is easily done by using the HelpProvider Component.

Different Types of Help

The Windows Forms HelpProvider component is used to associate an HTMLHelp 1.x Help file (either a .chm file, produced with the HTMLHelp Workshop, or an .htm file) with your Windows-based application. The HelpProvider component can be used to provide context-sensitive Help for controls on Windows Forms or specific controls. Additionally, the HelpProvider component can open a Help file to specific areas, such as the main page of a table of contents, an index, or a search function. For general information about the HelpProvider component, see HelpProvider Component Overview. For information on how to use the HelpProvider component to show pop-up Help on Windows Forms, see How to: Display Pop-up Help. For information on using the ToolTip component to show control-specific Help, see Control Help Using ToolTips.

You can generate HTML Help 1.x files with the HTMLHelp Workshop or another Help Authoring Tool. For more information about HTML Help, see “HTMLHelp Workshop” or the other HTMLHelp topics on this website.

---