What is wrong with Help ?

  • Thread starter NoMagic@Certegy
  • Start date
N

NoMagic@Certegy

It is 2000 9.0.3

The help never brings up the answer that I know exists. Example: Bring up
help, on the Index tab type instr, what I get is 'Differences in String
Function Operations' instead of the help for the function Instr. In fact
there is nothing on the page that comes up at all that explains Instr at all.
Another...

Type cint, it brings up 'circle'. What the heck is going on? I use these
functions regularly, but NOT regularly enough to remember the parm order.

It may be using Japanese examples as well, but that isn't my concern right
now.

Any ideas?
 
D

Douglas J Steele

Where are you when you're doing these searches? It makes a difference if
you're in Access or the VB Editor.
 
N

NoMagic@Certegy

NoMagic@Certegy said:
It is 2000 9.0.3

The help never brings up the answer that I know exists. Example: Bring up
help, on the Index tab type instr, what I get is 'Differences in String
Function Operations' instead of the help for the function Instr. In fact
there is nothing on the page that comes up at all that explains Instr at all.
Another...

Type cint, it brings up 'circle'. What the heck is going on? I use these
functions regularly, but NOT regularly enough to remember the parm order.

It may be using Japanese examples as well, but that isn't my concern right
now.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

It appears that the help could be for Excel. Every entry I looked at seems
to talk about spreadsheets and worksheet functions.

So if that is the case, how can I get Access configured so that it's help
facility is actually help for Access and not Excel?
 
N

NoMagic@Certegy

Doug,

Definitely not using the VB editor. Just have the SQL up in the SQL window
and hit Help, then Microsoft Access Help, then type in the Index text box.
 
F

fredg

It is 2000 9.0.3

The help never brings up the answer that I know exists. Example: Bring up
help, on the Index tab type instr, what I get is 'Differences in String
Function Operations' instead of the help for the function Instr. In fact
there is nothing on the page that comes up at all that explains Instr at all.
Another...

Type cint, it brings up 'circle'. What the heck is going on? I use these
functions regularly, but NOT regularly enough to remember the parm order.

It may be using Japanese examples as well, but that isn't my concern right
now.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Access has separate help files for Access, VBA, Jet, DAO, SQL, etc.

Click on Access Help.
Select the Contents tab.
Double Click on Microsoft Access
Double Click on Visual Basic Language Reference
Double Click on Functions
Click on the letter grouping for whatever function you are looking
for, in this case H-L
instr appears with the other functions in this grouping.
 
P

Pat Hartman

Help certainly needs its own help. With A2K and newer, someone who is
obviously not Access literate decided to split help into "user" and
"developer" and so you will get different responses when you ask for help
from the container window than when you ask from the VBA window. If you want
help on functions, you will have better luck if you ask from the VBA window.
You will also have better luck if you are using A2003 if you allow it to have
internet access.

Depending on what version of Access you are using there may be updates to
the help files.

If you have A97 installed somewhere, you can copy its help file and just
open it directly. As long as the function isn't new to your version, you
will be much happier with the experience.
 
N

NoMagic@Certegy

Thanks for the shot, but I don't have anything after 'Select the contents
tab' below. I understand the general point you are trying to make and I'll
see if I can't drum up the VB context help some other way. Strange that they
wouldn't be available from the free form SQL window, as these functions are
valid, and very useful in SQL.

Regards.
 
N

NoMagic@Certegy

I hear you. I thought about trying to get my old machine with '97 back from
the desktop guys..this version is awful. May still do so...Access is useless
without the help facility.
 
P

(PeteCresswell)

Per NoMagic@Certegy said:
I hear you. I thought about trying to get my old machine with '97 back from
the desktop guys..this version is awful. May still do so...Access is useless
without the help facility.
Click to expand...

I've found access to Access' help tb so unreliable across installations that I'm
now in the habit of just going to the MS Access web site when I need it.
 
N

NoMagic@Certegy

I'm definitely to that point, it is absolutely useless to try the onboard
help. It seems to have everything for worksheet functions, but nothing for
Access functions.

Would you mind posting the link the the on-line help? There are so many
links on the site, I can't ever find help that would actually tell me the
parm order for Instr() !

Regards.
 
R

Roger Carlson

Access 2000 help is notoriously bad. However, if you are looking for help
with VB functions, open any code window and then choose Help. You get a
different help system than when you are in the Access GUI and it is much
more useful. You should be able to find INSTR there.

--
--Roger Carlson
Access Database Samples: www.rogersaccesslibrary.com
Want answers to your Access questions in your Email?
Free subscription:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=ACCESS-L
 
N

NoMagic@Certegy

Thanks Roger.

I did, and I don't.

Went to the modules context, hit help, typed Instr, all I get is a panel
entitled 'Differences in String Function Operations'. Nothing on that page
tells you how to code an Instr function.

Another test is Cint. That doesn't bring up anything either.
 
R

Roger Carlson

You are still in Access. You must OPEN a VB code window, that is open or
create a new module or open any form or report and hit the Code button. In
the title bar it will say Microsoft Visual Basic rather than Microsoft
Access. Then choose Help from the menu bar. In the Keywords of the Index
Tab, type Instr and you will get help for it.
--
--Roger Carlson
Access Database Samples: www.rogersaccesslibrary.com
Want answers to your Access questions in your Email?
Free subscription:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=ACCESS-L

NoMagic@Certegy said:
Thanks Roger.

I did, and I don't.

Went to the modules context, hit help, typed Instr, all I get is a panel
entitled 'Differences in String Function Operations'. Nothing on that page
tells you how to code an Instr function.

Another test is Cint. That doesn't bring up anything either.
Click to expand...
 
B

Brendan Reynolds

Here's a link to the InStr topic in the VB6 language reference ...

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/vbenlr98/html/vafctInStr.asp

--
Brendan Reynolds (MVP)


NoMagic@Certegy said:
Thanks Roger.

I did, and I don't.

Went to the modules context, hit help, typed Instr, all I get is a panel
entitled 'Differences in String Function Operations'. Nothing on that
page
tells you how to code an Instr function.

Another test is Cint. That doesn't bring up anything either.
Click to expand...
 
N

NoMagic@Certegy

Roger,

Just tried that, and it did look promising (the VisualBasic window DID come
up), but sent me to the same useless screen, which doesn't have any help for
InStr. Same with Cint, and I suspect all the functions.
 
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