GetTextFromLayout() or similar?

[kennedy]

Any clever way to simplify this:

I want SHIFT-click on any field *label* to display help info on that field.

For every field I have a "HELP fieldname" field that is a constant calc returning the help text.

Now, I can write a HELP script for each field... but I'd rather cover most of the fields with a generic HELP FIELD script...

SetField [ G::HelpText, GetField("HELP " & fieldname) ]

... where 'fieldname' is the code I am missing... its the text from the text object that I just clicked on. Any way to do that? (You guys have amazed me before! )

Thanks!

P.S. This is where parameters to scripts would be sooo nice... to where the button could specify PerformScript along with a parameter... then I wouldn't need a cut'n'paste script for each field.

[Kurt Knippel]

A cheap and dirty way to do this is to define each label as a global field. Into this field you can stick the field name, paragraph return and the help text. Now format the label so that only the line with the field name is showing. If a user clicks on the name it activates the field and the rest of the text will show.

This works best for a limited amount of fields.

[Rigsby]

There are so many ways to deal with this that someone could write a book about it, or at least start another forum entry. However, one method I like is to create a new related database called help. In this file, you can create as many help records as needed, supplying the user with a searchable, printable help file. The problem you will always have is with the relationships. The task of creating a global field to meet each normal field is daunting to say the least, not to mention all those relationships. What I do is link each layout in a file with a help button, that then takes the user to the help file and displays help for all fields on a layout. The user cans then brows the help records.

Another trick is as follows. Use one global field to relate to the help file. Now attach a script to each field that detects the SHIFT key. No shift key go to field X. If the shift key is pressed enter field, set global field to current field name, go to related records. This works, but uses a lot of scripting.

A diversification on this is a mixture of both. Use a help button that calls up all help files related to a layout if the user has not entered a field, otherwise set the global field to the current field name and go to related record.