The HelpProvider control offers contextual help dialogs. Sometimes a user wants a verbose description of a control. With HelpProvider we provide this description by adding a Help button and setting some properties.
This C# article describes the HelpProvider control in Windows Forms.
Before we use the HelpProvider control, let's add the help button in the top right corner of the window. It has a question mark on it. Change the HelpButton property to True on the Form. Next, change the MaximizeBox and MinimizeBox properties to False.
Tip: The HelpButton will not show up if the maximize or minimize buttons are enabled.
Next we need to add the HelpProvider control to the form. Open the Toolbox and double-click on HelpProvider. The main effect this will have is all controls will have new properties on them:
HelpKeyword on helpProvider1
HelpNavigator on helpProvider1
HelpString on helpProvider1
ShowHelp on helpProvider1
The HelpProvider is activated upon the user clicking on the Help button [?] and then clicking on a Control. So, to continue with the tutorial, add a Button control to your Windows Form. Then, change the "HelpString on helpProvider1" property to have any message you like.
Test HelpString. Now, when you click on the Help button [?] in the top right of the Form, and then click on the Button, the HelpProvider will display a box with a shadow. The HelpString will be displayed inside this box.
We walked through a simple way to use the HelpProvider control to provide contextual help in a Windows Forms program. By adding the Help button and then setting the HelpString property that is offered by the HelpProvider instance, a help mode is enabled.
Windows Forms