Installing End-User help?

rbuser

The end-user help file called LearnReportBuilder.hlp is
great for my application. It works fine when I run
ReportBuilder.exe under learn Report Builder, but when I
install the 3 help files to my own application, I get no
help when I click on help in the Explorer, and I get the
full blown RepBuilder help when I select help in the designer.

I tried many thinbgs to "install" the proper help file to my
own application and form, but am very very stuck. Obviously
there is a way to do this - please point me in some direction!!!

TIA,
Scott Stalheim

nardmoseley

1. To customize the help menu for the report explorer you need to provide
some custom code to handle the Help menu item. You can in one of the
following ways:

a. Use the ReportExplrorer.OnCreate event to access the
ReportExplorer.Form.Menu property. Then iterate thru the menu items array
and override the help menu Item.OnClick event.

Note: the default help code is located in ppExpFrm.pas. The method is
TppReportExplorerForm.mniHelpTopicsClick.


b. Use the ReportExplorer.MergeMenu feature to override the help menu. See
the online help for more info.
c. Implement a custom report explorer form. See
RBuilder\Tutorials\Complete\II. Applications\04. End-User with Custom
Explorer

2. To customize the help for the TppDesigner you can use the OnHelp event:

--------------------------------------
Customizing the Designer's Help Menu
--------------------------------------

The TppDesigner.OnHelp event can be used to control what happens when the
end-user requests help.


The following is from the RBuilder.hlp file topic for TppDesigner.OnHelp:


Declaration
-----------

property OnHelp: TppHelpEvent = procedure(Sender: TObject; var aHelpFile,
aKeyphrase: String; var aCallHelp: Boolean) of object;

Description
-----------

Write an OnHelp event handler to perform special processing when the user
requests help. The OnHelp event is triggered when the user makes a selection
and clicks 'F1' or access the Help | Help Topics menu option.

The aHelpFile parameter can take a file name or full path and file name. If
the aCallHelp parameter is set to False, WinHelp will not be called.




--
Nard Moseley
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com

rbuser

Thanks for the help. I was able to link the supplied help
into my own form, and into the designer, but so far no
luck on linking to Report Explorer. I have tried the method
(a) and (b) you sent as follows:

a. "Use the ReportExplrorer.OnCreate event to access the
ReportExplorer.Form.Menu property. Then iterate thru the
menu items array and override the help menu Item.OnClick event.
Note: the default help code is located in ppExpFrm.pas. The
method is TppReportExplorerForm.mniHelpTopicsClick. "

- I tried changing the actual code in ppExpFrm.pas (probably
not a good idea for future maintenance!), and nothing
changed, I suppose because I would also need to re-install
ReportBuilder into Delphi.

- Also I tried over-riding the method, but I am not familiar
with this procedure. In a form of my own, I added
ppExpFrm.pas to the uses clause, and then entered a new method:
procedure mniHelpTopicsClick(Sender: TObject); override;
I get the compiler error message:
"method mniHelpTopicsClick not found in base class"

As for method (b) you had:
"Use the ReportExplorer.MergeMenu feature to override the
help menu. See the online help for more info."

I find no example, and not enough help to make any progress.
It seems that MergeMenu would be a good option if I
understood it!

Any additional help much appreciated!

Scott Stalheim
stalheim@tds.net

nardmoseley

1. If you modify the RB source, you have to modify your the Delphi library
path to RBuilder\Source OR copy the unit to RBuilder\Lib. An example of
cusomizing the the custom report explorer form. See
RBuilder\Tutorials\Complete\II. Applications\04. End-User with Custom
Explorer

2. The merge menu is documented in the RBuilder.hlp. To replace the Help
menu:

a. Add a TMainMenu component to the end-user form. Create a MenuItem, set
the Caption to 'Help' and set the GroupIndex to 30. Add any subitems as
desired. Set the TppReportExplorer.MergeMenu property to point to the
TMainMenu component. Run the application.





--
Nard Moseley
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com