Create What's This tips for toolbar buttons or menu commands

What's This tips appear when you click What's This? on the Help menu or press SHIFT+F1, and then click a toolbar button or menu command.

Creating the tip

1. Create the source file using the text editor or word-processing program of your choice. Make sure to save the source file in Rich Text Format. For information on creating the source file, see the Help that comes with the Windows Help Compiler.
   
   
2. Compile the Help file using the Windows Help Compiler.

   Note   For best results, put the Help file in the same folder as your application. That way, each site using your application can use the same setting for the HelpFile property, but install the application in the folder of their choice. If you omit a path setting in this property, Microsoft Access looks for the Help file in the folder where your application is installed.

Assigning the tip to a toolbar button or menu command

1. On the View menu, point to Toolbars, and then click Customize.
   
   
2. Show the toolbar or menu bar you want to work with, if it isn't already displayed.

   How?

3. With the Customize dialog box open, right-click the toolbar button or menu command you want to assign a tip to, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
   
   
4. In the HelpFile property box, specify the path and file name for the compiled Help file.
   
   
5. In the HelpContextID property box, type the number of the topic (other than 0).

Notes

• You must map the values set for the HelpContextID property to the context strings in your Help system. For more information, see the Help file that comes with the Windows Help Compiler.
  
  
• You can't display custom What's This tips through the Office Assistant.
  
  
• The Windows Help Compiler is included with Microsoft Office 2000 Developer Edition; Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications; Microsoft Visual C++; and the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK). You can also order a Help Authoring Kit from Microsoft. To find out more about what's included in Microsoft Office 2000 Developer Edition, click .