Microsoft Visio 2002 Resource Kit

  • Article
Archived content. No warranty is made as to technical accuracy. Content may contain URLs that were valid when originally published, but now link to sites or pages that no longer exist.

Chapter 10 - Creating Custom Help

With Microsoft® Visio® 2002, you can expand built-in Help to include information unique to your organization. For example, you can create custom Help topics and make them available through a seamless interface, just like built-in Help.

On This Page

Creating Custom Help Topics
Making Custom Help Content Accessible

Creating Custom Help Topics

You can expand the scope of built-in Microsoft® Visio® 2002 Help by using Microsoft HTML Help Workshop and the Microsoft Answer Wizard Builder to create and distribute custom Help topics. Users gain access to those topics by using the Visio Help system.

Using Microsoft HTML Help Workshop 

You can create custom Help for Visio by using Microsoft HTML Help Workshop or an HTML text editor. The associated Help file available with HTML Help Workshop is an excellent source of information that explains what is required to create Help content. Included within the Help for HTML Help Workshop are several recommendations for how to configure your help project to best suit your needs, as well as the required steps you must take to create and call the Help from within a feature. You can also use HTML Help Workshop to test your Web site or compiled Help, but if you prefer, you can use a Web browser to test and navigate that content.

Help content you create and compile with HTML Help Workshop is displayed by Visio or an application that you have developed by using the Microsoft HTML Help application that ships with Visio. The HTML Help application can use either CHM files (compressed HTML Help metafile) or HTML content in a Web site as a source. Content destined for compilation by HTML Help Workshop can come from an HTML text editor, Microsoft® FrontPage®, Microsoft® Word, or HTML Help Workshop itself. To compile Help content into a CHM file, you simply install HTML Help Workshop and perform the necessary steps to do a build.

To add custom Help to an existing Visio feature, you must create new Help topics and a new Answer Wizard (AW) file. Depending on the number of new topics you need to create, the effort required to create an additional Help source and AW file can vary greatly. Creating a few topics with very few cross-references or links is relatively easy. The more topics you add and the number of links you add to other sources or topics greatly increases the amount of effort necessary to create a complete, consistent, and stable Help source.

To modify an existing custom Help system (other than the Visio Help system) for a custom-built application, you must have the original HTML files used to create the Help. Having these materials is required if you plan to delete any topics from the custom system and then recompile all topics into one CHM file. Access to the original Help source materials for a feature is not required if you are only adding topics and creating a new AW file.

If you need to ignore some topics in your Help system, it is possible to selectively ignore topics by clearing the check box in the Topics frame for each topic in the Answer Wizard Builder. When unchecked, the topic is not included in the probability index and, therefore, never appears in the Visio Ask a Question dropdown list.

Customizing Help content for users 

Visio allows you to create and distribute custom Help content for users. For example, you can use custom Help to explain new features you have added to Visio or provide instructions for how to use a template or form. When a user asks Visio a question about a custom feature, applicable topics will appear in the search list generated by the Answer Wizard, and the topics will look like built-in Help.

Creating and distributing custom Help content for use in Visio Help involves the following steps:

  • Creating HTML-compatible Help files.

    Custom Help topics can be HTML Help files that reside on a Web site or compressed HTML (CHM) Help files that you distribute to users' computers or store on a network server. The Answer Wizard Builder analyzes the words contained in these files when it indexes your topics.

  • Creating a custom Answer Wizard (AW) file.

    The Microsoft Answer Wizard Builder stores your custom Help topics in a project file (AWB file) that is used to build an AW file—an index that is searched by the Answer Wizard in response to users' queries.

  • Registering the custom Help files.

    To make your custom Help content available to users, copy the new AW file to each user's computer and update each user's Windows registry for the AW file. The next time a user asks Visio a question, the custom Help content automatically becomes part of the Answer Wizard results list.

Creating custom Help content 

Creating custom Help topics involves these steps:

  • Choosing a custom Help file format (HTML or CHM files).

    Each file type has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on your needs—namely, how you plan to store the Help files, and how often you plan to update them.

  • Creating the custom HTML topics.

    If you want to create, format, and link HTML Help topics, you can use any HTML editor. If you want to create CHM files, install Microsoft HTML Help Workshop and compile your custom Help. You have the option of compiling HTML pages into a CHM file when your custom Help is complete.

Choosing a Help file format

The format you choose for your Help files also depends on where you plan to store the files and how often you need to update the content. Custom Help topics can be stored on a user's computer, on a server, or hosted on a Web site. Each file type has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on your needs.

Advantages of using HTML Help

HTML Help files can be stored on either a Web server or a network file share. If they are stored on either of these, the following advantages apply:

  • You can update Help content in one place and not have to worry about deploying or updating it on individual computers.

  • No hard-disk space is required on a user's computer.

  • If you already have a Web-based Help site, you can use its contents to create the custom AW file.

  • You do not have to register Web-based Help on each user's computer.

  • HTML Help does not require a hosted Web site to display Help content.

Disadvantages to using HTML Help files include the following:

  • If you use HTML Help files hosted on a Web site, users must have access to the Web.

  • If a Web server is used to host the Help files, you must also maintain the Web server and site.

  • If a Web server or network file server share is used, users might experience slow response times when they submit queries due to network traffic or Web site loading.

Advantages of using compressed HTML Help (CHM)

A CHM file is a compressed HTML Help metafile. You can take the equivalent of an entire Web site and compile it into a CHM. It uses a special technology to combine HTML files into one file with a special directory, index, and file structure similar to a compressed drive. A CHM file can only be read by the HTML Help system and Microsoft Internet Explorer. CHM files are created by HTML Help Workshop and require creating a special project and build area where you create and organize Help topics in HTML format.

Access to CHM files can be obtained through a network share or locally on a user's computer. CHM files offer the following advantages over other file types:

  • CHM files can be compressed, taking up less hard-disk space and providing more portability than an entire Web site.

  • Users get faster results when the CHM file is stored locally.

  • A single CHM file can contain an entire Web site of HTML files.

  • Users do not need access to the Web or the network.

If you use CHM Help files, you must deploy them to each client computer whenever you update the content.

Disadvantages to using CHM files include the following:

  • You are required to register the CHM before it can be used.

    However, once it is registered, it does not need to be registered again.

  • You are required to recompile the file every time a change is made to the Help system.

  • You are required to redistribute the Help file each time a CHM file is modified.

  • CHM files take up hard-disk space on the user's computer, if posted locally.

When deciding whether to create a CHM file, think about how often your Help will change. If your Help changes frequently, it is probably better to leave your Help in HTML pages and post them on a file server where everyone can gain access to them and where you can update them easily.

If your content rarely changes, you can create CHM files with Microsoft HTML Help Workshop. This compresses the HTML pages and makes a portable, single file for your Help system.

Creating custom Help topics

After you choose what format you will use for your custom Help topics, you can begin creating your topics. Where you start the process of creating custom Help depends on what format your Help files are in. If you have CHM files or Help topics in WinHelp format, you can import them into HTML Help Workshop.

Start with WinHelp sources

Many companies already have custom Help that exists in Windows Help format (winhlp or winhlp32). Microsoft HTML Help Workshop can automatically convert the source files for these to HTML.

After converting your source files, use HTML Help Workshop to create a CHM file from the new HTML files.

Follow the procedure below to convert the source files for an existing WinHelp Help system to HTML Help.

To convert an existing Help project to an HTML Help project

  1. On the File menu, click New, and then click Project.

  2. Select the Convert WinHelp project check box, and then click Next.

  3. Specify the location of the existing Help project (.hpj) file you want to convert.

  4. Specify a location and name for the new HTML Help project you are creating, click Next, and then click Finish.

Note All the files referenced by the existing Help project (.hpj) file must be in the locations specified or the conversion process will fail. HTML Help Workshop converts the entire project as defined in the WinHelp project file.

Start with HTML files

If your Help content is currently in HTML format, you can create an AW file by creating an Answer Wizard Builder project with the URL to the Web site or the drive where the HTML files are currently stored.

If you need to edit or update HTML files, modify them first by using an HTML editing tool (such as FrontPage) or HTML Help Workshop.

You can also use HTML Help Workshop to create a new CHM file based on existing HTML files. If you create a Help system with fairly static information, a CHM file is a good solution. If your Help information will change frequently, it is a good idea to post the HTML files on a server accessible by all users and direct the AW to use the files in that location.

Start with compressed HTML files

If users do not have access to the Web or an intranet, or if they frequently access Help from portable systems, you can use HTML Help Workshop to create CHM files and store them either on the network or local to the user's computer. You can either access existing CHM files with Answer Wizard (AW) files built by the Answer Wizard Builder or, if Help topics need editing, modify them first by using HTML Help Workshop.

When you use CHM files to create an Answer Wizard file, you can choose not to include topics in the results list; the Answer Wizard ignores the topics you do not include. For more information, see Making Custom Help Content Accessible.

Start from scratch

If you do not have any existing content, you can create your own Help topics in HTML Help Workshop or in any other HTML authoring tool (for example, FrontPage, Word, or a text editor). Then use the Answer Wizard Builder to create the AW file from the HTML or CHM Help content.

For help in developing an HTML Help system, consult the Help for Microsoft HTML Help Workshop.

Making custom Help content look like built-in Help 

If you want your custom Help to look more like the built-in Visio Help system, you can create HTML files by using the two Microsoft cascading style sheets provided with the Office XP Resource Kit. Then add your custom Help content to the Answer Wizard with the Answer Wizard Builder. Accessing Help content through the Answer Wizard ensures that your Help uses the same window definitions and functionality as Visio Help.

Note HTML Help Workshop helps you create custom HTML Help content for use with the Visio Help system. To help you create files that look like Visio Help files, the Office Help cascading style sheet files are included in the Office XP Resource Kit. For more information on installing HTML Help Workshop, see "HTML Help Workshop" in the Office XP Resource Kit Toolbox.

The Office XP Resource Kit includes the two cascading style sheets office10.css and startpag.css. The office10.css is the main style sheet used for all basic Help topics. The startpag.css style sheet is used for the main start page for each Visio feature main Help (for example: Help menu, Microsoft Visio Help option). Attach the appropriate cascading style sheet to each HTML file in your project, and use the defined styles when you format the Help text within each topic.

To view the HTML source for help files 

  1. Start Visio.

  2. Enter a question in the Ask a Question box.

  3. Right-click on the displayed Help file.

  4. Select View Source.

The HTML source will be displayed in the Notepad editor.

Note To view the definitions for each style in a cascading style sheet file, open the file with a text editor. Each style is listed, along with the formatting specifications for that style, such as font and size.

To provide easy access to the style sheets, store each style sheet in the same folder where the HTML Help source files are stored, and add the following code to the header in each HTML page:

<LINK rel=stylesheet type="text/css" href="office10.css">
<LINK REL="stylesheet" HREF="startpag.css" type="text/css">

The user's Web browser determines which cascading style sheet file is used when the HTML page is opened.

Both office10.css and startpag.css are for Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.02 or later.

Making Custom Help Content Accessible

Microsoft® Visio® 2002 allows administrators the option to create and distribute Help topics unique to their organization, expanding the usefulness of a feature's built-in Help. The Answer Wizard links custom Help to users through a natural language interface. When a user enters a question into the Ask a Question box, the Answer Wizard returns a list of Help topics applicable to the question.

Requirements for building a custom Help system 

The Answer Wizard uses an index (AW file) of your custom Help topics generated by the Answer Wizard Builder as the source for deriving answers to user questions. Before you can use the Answer Wizard tools, you must have a Help system in place. A Help system requires:

  • One or more topics (each topic is only one HTML file).

  • That all topics are stored in either a CHM file or the equivalent of an HTML Web site.

So, to create a complete Help system, you must create a topic for each portion of the product users are trying to use, and then, in your topics, provide an answer for each of the major questions a user might ask about the product. After topics are documented and compiled into the Help, you can use the Answer Wizard Builder to optionally assign the user questions for which a selected topic is the best answer to that topic.

Note The CHM file you use must have been compiled with all the Help topics (HTML files) one directory below where the CHM file is created. If the CHM file references all the files at the root of the project, the HTML Help will not find the Help content.

HTML Help is the utility used to display Help topics. HTML Help can use two types of files for Help topics: HTML files and CHM files (a CHM file is a compilation of HTML files in compressed format). A topic within a Help system is a single HTML file. Several HTML files configured similar to a Web site, or an Internet Information Server–hosted Web site, can be used as a Help system. HTML Help topics do not require a hosted Web site. The files need only to be arranged as if they are part of a Web site and do not require programs like Internet Information Server (IIS).

For more information on creating custom Help topics and choosing file formats, see Creating Custom Help Topics.

Linking custom Help content to the Answer Wizard 

If you want custom Help topics to be accessible from Visio, you must first use the Answer Wizard Builder to create a project file (AWB file) where you store Help topic information. The Answer Wizard Builder then uses the project file to create an index (AW file) of your HTML Help topics. When users submit queries in Visio Help, the Answer Wizard gathers the applicable information using the AW file and starts the HTML Help system that displays the information.

You can use Answer Wizard Builder to add custom Help content to any application that uses the Answer Wizard. However, the Answer Wizard Builder will work only on a computer that has Office XP installed.

Creating an Answer Wizard Builder project

The first step in making custom Help topics available to users is to create an Answer Wizard Builder (AWB) project file where information about your custom HTML Help topics is stored. You must then assign user questions to custom Help topics to enable Answer Wizard to discover your custom Help topics.

To create an Answer Wizard Builder project 

  1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Office Tools, point to Microsoft Office XP Resource Kit Tools, and then click Answer Wizard Builder.

  2. Under Create a new Answer Wizard project, click CHM File or Web Site.

    If you selected the CHM File option, enter the path to the CHM file in the text box. If you selected the Web Site option, enter the UNC or drive alias of the computer with a Web site and the share name of the drive where the Web files are stored (plus the path to a particular folder, if necessary) in the adjacent text box.

  3. If you selected Web Site, add the Virtual directory alias (https://<URL>).

    The Virtual directory name is used by the Answer Wizard Builder as a dispatch string. The dispatch string is appended to the beginning of the HTML file name for the topics you select to be included in the AW file. This must be the location of the files in the Web site where Help is going to be called by the Answer Wizard. (If you selected the CHM File option, leave this blank.) You can use a drive letter or UNC if you prefer.

  4. Optionally, you can set the language the Help file system was developed for (the default is English).

The Answer Wizard Builder parses the CHM or HTML files and populates the Answer Wizard project with the Help topic title information.

Refine Help responses with user questions

You can improve the searching power of the Answer Wizard by assigning user questions to each custom Help topic. Assigning questions refines the index, which allows the Answer Wizard to more accurately provide topics associated with a query.

The questions you assign should be specific to one topic and worded to reflect what a user might ask. Applying these guidelines will increase the probability that the Answer Wizard will return applicable topics. For example, you might select a topic about setting up a network printer and assign the question "What is the path to our department printer?"

Note Adding user questions is optional and is not required for the Answer Wizard to function normally. However, if you do not add user questions, the Answer Wizard will base its search index solely on the words in the title of the custom Help topic.

Guidelines for writing user questions

Follow these guidelines to make questions you assign to Help topics more useful:

  • For short Help topics, assigning two or three questions with different keywords is sufficient.

  • For in-depth topics, assigning several questions with unique keywords provides a broader selection base for the Answer Wizard.

  • Adding the topic title as a question adds no value.

  • Rephrasing a question with the same words adds no value.

Following are examples of good questions for a topic about formatting a shape:

  • How do I select a shape?

  • How do I format a shape?

  • How do I change the shape's color?

  • How can I make a shape transparent?

  • How can I add text to a shape?

Adding a question to a topic

Refining the searching power of the Answer Wizard is easy but time-consuming. Because the time required to refine the results is directly associated with how many questions you add and how quickly you add them, consider the amount of effort required to refine the answers from the wizard against the amount of increased benefit users will receive.

To add a question to a help topic 

  1. Start the Answer Wizard Builder.

  2. Open an existing Help project.

  3. Select a topic from the Topics list.

  4. Enter a question in the Questions text box.

  5. Click Add.

    Repeat for each topic to which you want to add questions and as many times as you feel necessary for a given topic.

  6. Save the project.

When you have finished adding questions, build the AW file by clicking Build on the Tools menu.

Building an Answer Wizard file

After you have created an Answer Wizard Builder project file, use the Answer Wizard Builder to create an index (AW file) of your HTML Help topics. Because the Answer Wizard Builder uses a considerable amount of memory, you may want to close all other applications and run it on a separate workstation. It is not recommended that you build AW files on a file server or Terminal Services-enabled server.

To build a new custom Answer Wizard file 

  • In the Answer Wizard Builder, on the Tools menu, click Build.

Tip Save the new AW file in the same folder where you saved the AWB project file.

When the build process is complete, an AW file with the same name as the project file is available in the build directory.

Building an AW file can be time-consuming for large Help files. The speed of the processor on your computer and the amount of RAM available to the builder will affect the amount of time it takes to create the file.

Note Answer Wizard Builder will only work on a computer where Office XP is installed.

Enabling custom Help

After you have created an index (AW file) of your Help topics, you must make the file accessible to users. Enabling custom Help requires knowing how the Visio Help system is configured and determining whether registry settings must be changed or new settings added.

To enable custom Help content and Answer Wizard files, you must:

  • Determine whether you are going to store the custom Help files on each user's computer or on a network share.

    Help files on a Web site do not need to be registered in the registry, but CHM files do. If you plan on redirecting users to Help on the Web, you need to change a registry setting for the URL.

  • Deploy the custom Help files to each user's computer, or place the files on a network share.

    HTML Web pages are better suited for use on Web sites or network file servers. CHM files are best suited for use on a user's computer due to their smaller size and portability (although they will run well from a server). If the Help system is small and is not likely to change, CHM files are a good solution. If the Help content is subject to considerable change, use a Web-based solution.

  • Update each user's Windows registry to point to the AW file created by the Answer Wizard Builder.

    There are separate registry entries for AW files and CHM files. You do not need to register regular HTML files.

    You can also store an AW file in any location as long as users have access to it. Storing the AW file on a user's computer can improve access speed.

Note If you make changes to an AW file or CHM file after it has been registered, you can replace the file with an updated version at any time. You do not need to register the file again, as long as you use the same file name and location.

Deploying custom Help with Visio

If you have not yet deployed Visio, you can use the Office XP Custom Installation Wizard to deploy the custom Help and AW files to each user's computer by:

  • Adding the AW and CHM files to a transform using the Add/Remove Files page.

  • Updating registries with paths to these new files with the Add Registry Entries page.

If you have deployed Visio and have distributed the AW and CHM files accordingly, but have not registered the AW and CHM file to each user's computer, you can set the necessary registry settings on users' computers by using a system policy.

Tip The easiest way to administer customized Help is to set up the custom Help content on a Web site, store the AW file on a network share, and then set the locations by using system policies. By having everything stored on network servers, and having the file registration handled by system policies, you can avoid configuring the client computers individually. This method assumes that users have a persistent network connection.

Register an Answer Wizard file

The Answer Wizard registry entry requires the use of the REG_SZ (string) data type. Create a unique name for the entry name, and use the path where the AW file resides, including the AW file name, as the value.

The Answer Wizard subkeys are stored in the following location in the Windows registry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software \Microsoft \Office \10.0\Visio\Answer Wizard

For example, if you create a new AW file called Plugins.aw for Visio and place it in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Visio10\1033\Help folder, add a new registry entry called PluginsAW to the following subkey:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software \Microsoft \Visio \Answer Wizard

Value name: PluginsAW 

Data type: REG_SZ (string)

Then assign the following path as the value data:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Visio10\1033\Help\plugins.aw 

Register a CHM file

You can instruct the Custom Installation Wizard to register a CHM file while Visio is installing, or you can register the CHM file manually after installation. Both of these methods require adding a new registry entry as part of the following subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software \Microsoft \Windows \HTML Help

Value name: "<CHM file name>"

Data type: REG_SZ (string)

Use the CHM file name as the value name and the path where the CHM file resides as the value data. For example, if you create a new CHM file called Plugins.chm and place it in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Visio10\1033\Help folder, add a new value entry called Plugins.chm and assign the following path as its value data:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Visio10\1033\Help 

Linking the Answer Wizard to the Web 

Help on the Web, a feature in Visio, connects users to information about Visio on the Microsoft Visio Web site. You can disable Help on the Web or customize it to point to a site on your intranet. You can also use Help on the Web to collect user feedback to improve your custom Answer Wizard files and custom Help topics.

Using and expanding Help on the Web

You can use the Help on the Web feature to extend built-in Help and technical support for users. This is a valuable option when users are not satisfied by the Help topics the Answer Wizard provides to a query.

Users typically gain access to Help on the Web through a link provided by the Visio Help system. When a user asks a question, the Answer Wizard returns a list of Help topics, which includes the link None of the above, look for more Help on the Web as the last entry in the list.

Clicking this link connects users to a feedback form, where they can comment on their search. When they submit the feedback form, they are redirected to the Microsoft Office Web site, and their search is automatically repeated on the latest Visio content. When they click the Send and go to the Web button, their comments are collected and sent to Microsoft, where support engineers evaluate the data and use it to improve both Answer Wizard Help topics and the Microsoft Office Web site.

You can customize the Help on the Web link to redirect users to a site on your intranet instead, especially if your users do not have access to the World Wide Web. When users click None of the above, look for more Help on the Web, they could be redirected to an intranet site that includes a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) relating to their search topic.

To redirect the Help on the Web URL link, change the Feedback URL. You can also customize the None of the above text in the Visio Help system and the third paragraph in the Feedback form in the Find Help Topics topic. If you prefer not to use the Help on the Web feature at all, you can disable the link.

The following examples show you a few of the many ways you can customize Help on the Web:

  • Direct users to a static page on an intranet Web site.

    If you do not want to create a custom Active Server Pages (ASP) file, create a static Web page with a list of FAQs and a telephone number or an e-mail address users can use to contact your organization's support staff.

    To implement this solution, create the Web page, delete the third paragraph in the Finding Help Topics topic (feedback dialog text), and supply the static Web page address as the Feedback URL.

  • Collect user questions to create or expand custom Help files.

    This method requires that you create an ASP file.

    If you are considering creating a Help system in the future, you can collect current user questions without redirecting users to an external Web site. Later, you can implement a custom Help system with these questions to help you refine an AW file.

    If you have already created custom Help and AW files for your organization, tracking user questions and comments can help you find ways to expand your custom Help. By using user created questions, you can research and write more topics and fine-tune your AW file for your custom Help, as well as supplement the online Help system for Visio.

    To implement this solution, create an ASP file to log user questions and comments. Change the feedback button label from None of the above to "Send us comments about your search," and change the third paragraph in the Finding Help Topics topic (feedback dialog box text) to inform users that their comments are going to be sent to you. Change the Feedback URL to point to the ASP file you created, and the system will begin recording all submitted questions.

  • Redirect searches to an intranet site.

    This method requires that you create an ASP file.

    You can instruct Help on the Web to search for information from your intranet rather than the Microsoft Office Web site.

    To redirect users to your Web site, create an ASP file to search your organization's Web site. Change the feedback button label None of the above text in the Visio Ask a Question list and the third paragraph in the Finding Help Topics topic (feedback dialog text) to tell users where their browsers are being redirected. Update the Feedback URL to point to your ASP file.

  • Send questions to your support staff.

    This method requires that you create an ASP file.

    You can use a custom ASP file for handling user questions. For example, users can fill in the feedback form with pertinent questions and comments. The system can automatically route the form to your support staff. After the form is submitted, users are redirected to a Web page with FAQs or are provided a link to a Web site they can use to search for more information.

Customizing Help on the Web

You can customize Help on the Web by changing any of the following items:

  • Feedback dialog box text on the Help page

  • Feedback URL

You can also disable Help on the Web if you do not want to make this feature available to users.

Customize text in Finding Help Topics topic

You can customize the feedback dialog box text (third paragraph of the topic) in the Finding Help Topics Help topic. By default, the following text appears in the middle of the Help topic, just below the repeated user question:

Click the Send and go to the Web button below to launch Microsoft Internet Explorer and send your question to a site that provides further assistance.

You can change the text of this paragraph with a system policy.

To change the text in the Help window with a policy 

  1. In the System Policy Editor, double-click the Default User icon.

  2. Expand (click the plus [+] sign) the Microsoft Office XP node.

  3. Expand the Assistant node.

  4. Expand the Help on the Web node.

  5. Select the Feedback dialog text check box.

    In the Settings for Feedback dialog text work area, type the text you want to use.

Note The maximum number of characters for the feedback dialog box text is 255 characters.

Customizing the Answer Wizard Feedback form

When a user clicks None of the above, look for Help on the Web in the Ask a Question list, the user is presented with a feedback form. This form is for entering a comment about the problem the user is having and the type of Help topic the user expects Visio to return. If the user chooses to submit their comments, they are directed to the Microsoft Office Web site, where a search for applicable information is automatically run again using the user's original question.

To redirect information to your organization's support staff, customize the feedback form, and create a custom Active Server Pages (ASP) file to handle the information from the form.

To customize the feedback form, change the following three options in the sample Answiz.asp file.

Option

Description

F_log=1

To disable logging of users' questions, set to 0. Default is 1.

f_redirect_to_MS=1

To disable sending of information to the Microsoft Visio Web site, set to 0. Default is 1.

Where_if_not_MS="alert.htm"

Set to the URL of the page you want users to see after they submit the feedback form. This option is valid only if you have set the redirect option to 0.

Note The Office XP Resource Kit includes a sample ASP file named Answiz.asp for customizing the Answer Wizard feedback form. This sample file is installed by default when you run the Office XP Resource Kit Setup program. For more information, see "Supplemental Documentation" in the Office XP Resource Kit Toolbox.

The following is an example of the Answiz.asp file.

<%
response.expires = 0
f_log = 1
f_redirect_to_MS = 1
where_if_not_MS = "alert.htm"
APP = request.form("app") ' used
UQ = request.form("UQ") ' used
UD = request.form("UD") ' not used
IAP = request.form("IAP") ' not used
HLCID = request.form("HLCID") ' not used
OPC = request.form("OPC") ' not used
OCC = request.form("OCC") ' not used
if f_log = 1 then
app=mid(app,11)
what_tl_log=APP & ":" & UQ
what_to_log=mid(what_to_log,1,80)
response.appendToLog(what_to_log)
end if
if f_redirect_to_MS = 1 then
redirloc = "https://www.Microsoft.com/office/"
redirloc = redirloc&"redirect/fromOffice10/answerwizard.asp"
public buffer
public buff2
quote = chr(34)
LF = chr(10) & chr(13) ' carriage return and line feed
function bufferwrite(x)
buffer=buffer & x
End Function
buffer=""
bufferwrite("<form action-" & redirloc & " method=post name=f>" & LF)
for each i in request.form
buff2=" name=" & quote & i & quote & " value=" & quote & _ request.form(i) & quote
bufferwrite("<input type=hidden" & buff2 & ">" & LF)
next
bufferwrite("</form>")
bufferflush
%>
<script language=javascript for=window event=onLoad()>
</script>
<%
else
response.redirect(where_if_not_MS)
end if
%>

Cc767121.spacer(en-us,TechNet.10).gif