helpKeyword

Type: String

Availability: Read or write at any time

The helpKeyword property of the Window class contains the text used to access the help file. If a help keyword is provided for a form, control, or menu, this text is used to access the help file when the user presses the F1 function key for help while the focus is on that object.

The current keyword is the value of the helpKeyword property for the object that has the focus.

In the Window and MenuItem classes, this property can be translated when the value of the Schema class formsManagement property is FormsMngmt_Single_Multi (2).

For a control, if the helpKeyword property is empty and its helpContextId property is set to zero (0), JADE examines the corresponding properties on the window that is the parent window of the control, which is either the form or another control. If the helpKeyword property is empty and its helpContextId property is set to zero (0) for the parent window, the grandparent window is examined and so on, until the form is reached.

If no help keyword or context number can be found, the Contents section of the help file is requested. If the helpFile property of the Application class is not set, no help file is opened. If the helpContextId property is also set, the helpKeyword value is used in preference to the context number.

Building a help file requires the appropriate third-party tool (that is, the Adobe Acrobat application, Microsoft Windows Help Compiler, or any other Windows help compiler).

When help is requested, if the help file specifies a:

Web HTML help, detected by the value of the helpFile property starting with a recognized URL scheme (that is, http:// or https://), JADE attempts to construct a URL to pass to the default Web browser.

If the value of the helpKeyword property starts with a recognized URL scheme, the helpKeyword URL is used; otherwise the value of the helpKeyword property is appended to the value of the helpFile property to become the URL to use, as shown in the following code fragment example.
```
mybtn.helpKeyword := "Form1/button1.html";
mybtn.showHelp;
```
When help is invoked directly via the Window class showHelp method or via the user pressing the help key (F1), a URL is created and the default browser is invoked to display the URL.
Portable Document Format (PDF) file (detected by the .pdf file suffix), JADE attempts to execute Adobe Acrobat to handle the file. JADE checks the Windows registry for the Acrobat Reader (AcroRd32) or for the acrobat executable program. If Acrobat Reader is not found, the help request is ignored and entries explaining the cause of the failure are output to the jommsg.log file. If Acrobat is located, it is initiated for the PDF help file defined in JADE.

For a helpKeyword help request, the helpKeyword property is passed to Acrobat as a named destination, which Acrobat uses to position the help file display. As there are no equivalent concepts in a PDF file of any other type of help request (for example, helpContextId, index request, and so on), only the first page of the PDF file is displayed for a help request other than using the helpKeyword property.
Windows help file (detected by the .hlp file suffix), JADE automatically calls help and requests the topic identified by the current helpKeyword property or the helpContextId property.
Compiled help file (detected by the .chm file suffix), JADE calls the HtmlHelp entry point of the htmlhelp.dll file and requests the topic identified by the current helpKeyword property or the helpContextId property. You can use the compiled help file (.chm) format files when producing online help for HTML thin client applications, for example.

The helpKeyword property can contain a help file name before the keyword, separated by a semicolon. This help file (which can be a .pdf, .hlp, or .chm file) is specific to this helpKeyword property, and overrides the default value; for example:

btnHelp_click(btn: Button input) updating;
vars
begin
    if fldFolder.topSheet = shtSelect then
        btn.helpKeyword := "DevRef.pdf;selectinglibraryacxautomationdrg10";
    elseif fldFolder.topSheet =  shtLibrary then
        btn.helpKeyword := "DevRef.pdf;namelibrary_activex";
    elseif fldFolder.topSheet =  shtObjects then
        btn.helpKeyword := "DevRef.pdf;namingobjectclassesacxautomationdrg10";
    elseif fldFolder.topSheet =  shtInterfaces then
        btn.helpKeyword := "DevRef.pdf;naminginterfacesacxautomationdrg10";
    elseif fldFolder.topSheet =  shtConstants then
        btn.helpKeyword := "DevRef.pdf;namingconstantsacxautomationdrg10";
    endif;
    btn.showHelp;
end;

Although it is more efficient to use a single help file, specified in the Help File text box on the Application sheet of the Define Application dialog, this feature is intended for situations in which multiple help files are required for a single application.

When handling automatic Help menu items, if a helpContextId or helpKeyword property is specified on the Help menu Index automatic menu item, the destination of the help is based on the value of the helpContextId or helpKeyword property. In addition, the click event method is not executed.