IMultiItem.HelpContextID Property

The help context ID associated with this multiItem.

[Visual Basic .NET]
Public ReadOnly Property HelpContextID As Integer

[C#]
public int HelpContextID {get;}

[C++]
HRESULT get_HelpContextID(
  long* ID
);

[C++]

Parameters
ID [out, retval]
  ID is a parameter of type long

Product Availability

Description

The HelpContextID property is used to specify the mapped numeric value of the topic ID of the context sensitive help topic for your custom MulitItem. Specify the name of your help file in the HelpFile property.

This assigns the same HelpContextID to all of the items in the MulitItem. If you want each item to have a separate HelpContextID then you should use the IMultiItemEx.ItemHelpContextID property instead.

Remarks

If you set both the HelpFile and HelpContextID properties, then an end-user of your multiItem can use the "What's This?" command in ArcMap or ArcCatalog to get help on your commands. Note, if you want your What's This help to look and behave the same as the standard ArcGIS commands, then you should create a WinHelp file instead of a HTMLHelp file.

If you have a WinHelp file (*.hlp), set IMultiItemHelpFile to the name of the help file containing the topic that describes the multiItem and set IMultiItem_HelpContextID to the topic ID's mapped numeric value. The topic ID is the so-called # footnote in the RTF file you include in your WinHelp file. You can use Help Workshop to add this numeric value by opening the HPJ file, clicking Map and then clicking Add (to add the mapping for an individual topic). See the help topic "To enable a program to display an individual Help topic" in the Help Workshop's help file.

If you have an HTMLHelp file (*.chm) the procedure is similar; specifiy the
.chm file as IMultiItem_HelpFile and the mapped numeric value as
IMultiItem_HelpContextID. Popup topics are problematic with HTMLHelp, but the help topic will display in a default or user-defined window.

As part of your deployment strategy register the name of the WinHelp file (*.hlp) as a new string value in:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Help

Or if you're working with a HTMLHelp file (*.chm) register its name as a new string value in:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\HTMLHelp.

See Also