help file in VB6

help!!!
How do I create the contents of a help file and activate same in VB6? I need all the help I can get to meet deadlines.

Thanks

The helpfile is a RTF document that is compiled by a compiler program (eg. HCW.EXE). The compilers can be downloaded from MS but you've probably got them on your computer somewhere if you have VB. So theorectically, you could write your helpfile in Word, run it through the help compiler and poof! instant help file. But this requires a lot of work and knowledge. You would be better off using a 3rd party editor that creates the helpfile and inserts all the special codes. One example is VBHelpWriter (www.vbhelpwriter.com). They have a free version that can compile up to 30 topics. I think there may also be a help writer program that comes with VS but I've never used it.

For linking with your program, there are special calls you use to link with the help file. Then each window or control has a HelpContextID property that you set to a topic number. That's for context sensitive help. The WhatsThisHelpID is another topic number. There's alot more but I recommend that you just download vbhelpwriter or similar and just try it first.

"I have a plan so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel!" - Edmund Blackadder

Thanks for your suggestion, I have been to helpwriter and what they 've got is for windows 95, my system runs on 98 so I cant even install it on my system, if you dont mind let me have the step by step procedure for the rtf option I dont mind the hard work and I believe I will pick up the knwledge please......

Sorry, I've never used the RTF method. But there should be stuff out there in MSDN that addresses this. Helpwriter was only one suggestion (incidentally, I use it on Win98) and there are probably other help programs available on the net.

I do know that each page is a topic so page breaks are important. Jumps are some kind of special hypertext tag. I seem to recall that it was like a footnote or something. But I really suggest you get a help program, especially if you are under time constraints.

"I have a plan so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel!" - Edmund Blackadder