Help doesn't work when .NET application is running

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nick Bennett
  • Start date Start date
N

Nick Bennett

I have found that invoking peghelp.exe from within a .net application
doesn't work - i.e. no help window gets displayed.

It gets worse. When a .net application is running, NO application can
get help - not even the Help option from the system menu.

Furthermore, all .net applications seem to cause this behaviour, even
a minimal .net application with an empty form.

And the problem doesn't seem to be limited to a single hardware
platform either - the same thing happens on Intermec 760's, Symbol
8100's and the XDA and a variety of builds of the o/s.

Any workarounds known?
 
Nick Bennett wrote
I have found that invoking peghelp.exe from within a .net application
doesn't work - i.e. no help window gets displayed.

It gets worse. When a .net application is running, NO application can
get help - not even the Help option from the system menu.
Click to expand...

I disagree with the first Nick, as I have got peghelp running in a VB.Net
application using CreateProcess.

But, ARRRGGGH! you are so right, once a .Net Application is running, Help
stops running outside of any .Net applications that invoke it.

I've just tested this with SP1 and SP2, same problem with both releases on
an Ipaq 22xx an O2xda and an HP Jornada 568.

Whoops MS, would seem to be an appropriate understatement.

Paul K.
 
From my observations you can still invoke help from other applications (or
the today screen). But with your .NET application form in focus the Start >
Help menu option will not function. The reason for this is simple - Windows
CE sends the active form a windows message (WM_HELP) which the application
handles to invoke it's own help content. However this message is not
accessible from within .NETCF and so it is not possible to react to this
selection.
The workaround is to add a button, menuitem or clickable image to your form,
from which to call your help file using the CreateProcess API call.

Peter
 
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