PRB: Apple Guide Help Files Need Type of HELP

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Macintosh, version 3.0b

SYMPTOMS

After you set Help to an Apple Guide Help file in Visual FoxPro for Macintosh, you receive the following error when you call Help:

   Microsoft Help - This file is not a Microsoft Help file.

CAUSE

The Apple Guide does not have a type of "help."

RESOLUTION

Change the "Type of the Apple Guide" to "help" using ResEdit or some other resource editor that can change the type of a file.

Use the following code in Visual FoxPro to check and then set the "Type of an Apple Guide" to "help":

   \* kbon
   CLEAR
   SET HELP TO    && set HELP back to the default help file
   SET LIBRARY TO SYS(2004)+"Foxtools.cfm"
   cType=""
   cCreator=""

   * The next command only displays Apple Guides that have a type
   * of "poco." See Help for GETFILE() for information about
   * changing what files are displayed.

   cFileName=SYS(2027,GETFILE("", ;
    "Check 'All Files' if the file you want doesn't appear","OK",0,"poco"))

   =FxFileType(cFileName,@cType,@cCreator)

   ? "The File Type was "+'"'+cType+'"'
   ? "The File Creator was "+'"'+cCreator+'"'

   nCool=FxSetType(cFileName,"help","reno")

   IF nCool=0
       =FxFileType(cFileName,@cType,@cCreator)
       ? "The File Type is now "+'"'+cType+'"'
       ? "The File Creator is now "+'"'+cCreator+'"'
   ELSE
       ? "There was an error"
       ? "The operating system error number is "+STR(nCool)
   ENDIF
   \* kboff

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

Page 184 of the Visual FoxPro for Macintosh "Professional Features Guide" states that "Apple Guides developed for use with the Apple Guide Macintosh system extensions" can be used when integrating context-sensitive Help into an application.

These Apple Guides need to have a type of "help" and a Creator of "reno." "poco" is another common "Type for Apple Guides."

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. From the Visual FoxPro Command window, type the following command:

         SET HELP TO GETFILE()
   

   When the open dialog box appears, check the All Files check box and find an Apple Guide. If you have not developed a specific Apple Guide for use with Visual FoxPro, many Macintoshes have the AppleCD Audio Player that installs the AppleCD Audio Player Guide in the "Apple Extras:AppleCD Audio Player" folder. This Apple Guide has a Type of "poco" so you should receive the error message when you call Help if Help is set to this file.

2. Call Help in Visual FoxPro.