Online Help

  • Thread starter Thread starter Grey Old Man
  • Start date Start date
G

Grey Old Man

Does anyone have any experience of creating documentation accessible through
the Excel Help menu item?

I have successfully created a series of Excel 2002 templates and wish to
create a user guide for them. My work environment prohibits downloads or
specialised software, so RoboHelp, etc is not an option.

My initial thoughts are to write a macro that opens a Word document full of
hyperlinks. Has anyone been more creative?

Thanks in anticipation.
 
I frequently create "Menu Sheets" for my Excel applications. Using Drawing
Objects and/or icons and assigning macros to them. No need to go to Word.

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3
 
Sorry, not sure what you mean by "Menu Sheets" and "Drawing Objects". What
format are they in?
I am OK assigning macros to custom menu items.

I put together "a few notes" to create a draft Word user guide, but this
(with screen captures) is already 50 pages!
 
There is nothing in Excel or Office that facilitates the creation of
help files. You could write the help as a Word document and then
create a PDF from that, using Adobe or compatible software. If you
really want to do it right, you'd need a dedicated help system
authoring/editing application. I use Help & Manual 5 for creating help
files and find it very easy to use.

Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP 1998 - 2010
Pearson Software Consulting, LLC
www.cpearson.com
[email on web site]
 
This may not work for you.

John Walkenbach shows a way to use a userform to display text kept in a
dedicated worksheet:
http://spreadsheetpage.com/index.php/tip/C29
(look for "Displaying Help")

I've found that nobody but me will read the help that I wrote anyway. So I
wasn't going to invest time in learning how to create that .hlp/.chm stuff.

You may want to create the word document for your own use and distribute a copy
to your users. But I don't think that will stop the phone calls <vbg>.
 
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