Calling a Windows Help File from Forms 5.0

From: Roland Schaar <rschaar_at_gosch.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 1999 20:11:45 +0200
Message-ID: <377274E1.D23CBFCE_at_gosch.com>

How can a call a windows help file from Oracle Forms 5.0?

We have generated a help file from a Microsoft Word File using the tool Doc-To-Help, which works fine.

No I want to call the help file using the F1 key. I tried several ways, but can't find a good working solution.

I tried 3 different approaches in the Key-Help-Trigger:

1. Start the Help File using the host command: host ('OPC.HLP', NO_SCREEN);

This works but blocks the Application in the background. You have to close the help to continue working.

2. I tried a sample code that can be found in the Oracle Online Help. I created the package Winhelp using the sample code. But when I call the Package I get an error message when it tries to load a DLL. It tells me that USER.EXE is not a valid Windows-NT file. I tried it on different machines and got the same results.

declare

      data     VARCHAR2(512);
      retval  PLS_INTEGER;

begin

    retval := WinHelp.WinHelp
('H:\VSS\OPC\FORMS50\OPC.HLP','HELP_CONTENTS',data_l); end; -- trigger

3. It tried to use a library (D2KHELP) which comes with the sample application with Forms 5.0.

   call_hlp.help_context('HELP');
But this sample application holds the help information in the database and not in a help file.

Since everybody wants to ship a online help with the application I hope that somebody has a solution for my problem.

DI Roland Schaar
Gosch Consulting GmbH

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http://www.gosch.com Received on Thu Jun 24 1999 - 20:11:45 CEST