---
title: Help Systems
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "Help [Windows Forms], adding to Windows applications"
  - "Windows applications [Windows Forms], providing Help systems"
  - "What's This? Help"
  - "Help [Windows Forms], Windows Forms"
  - "HelpProvider component [Windows Forms], providing Help in Windows applications"
ms.assetid: 2a96a278-432c-41fc-9e3c-5bfedf5e1267
---
# Help Systems in Windows Forms Applications
One of the most important courtesies you, as a developer of applications, can furnish your users with is a competent Help system. This is where they will turn when they become confused or disoriented. Providing a Help system in a Windows-based application is easily done by using the [HelpProvider Component](../controls/helpprovider-component-windows-forms.md).  
  
## Different Types of Help  
 The Windows Forms <xref:System.Windows.Forms.HelpProvider> component is used to associate an HTML Help 1.x Help file (either a .chm file, produced with the HTML Help Workshop, or an .htm file) with your Windows-based application. The <xref:System.Windows.Forms.HelpProvider> component can be used to provide context-sensitive Help for controls on Windows Forms or specific controls. Additionally, the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.HelpProvider> component can open a Help file to specific areas, such as the main page of a table of contents, an index, or a search function. For general information about the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.HelpProvider> component, see [HelpProvider Component Overview](../controls/helpprovider-component-overview-windows-forms.md). For information on how to use the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.HelpProvider> component to show pop-up Help on Windows Forms, see [How to: Display Pop-up Help](how-to-display-pop-up-help.md). For information on using the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolTip> component to show control-specific Help, see [Control Help Using ToolTips](control-help-using-tooltips.md).  
  
 You can generate HTML Help 1.x files with the HTML Help Workshop. For more information on HTML Help, see the "HTML Help Workshop" or the other "HTML Help" topics in MSDN.  
  
## See also

- [Integrating User Help in Windows Forms](integrating-user-help-in-windows-forms.md)
- [HelpProvider Component](../controls/helpprovider-component-windows-forms.md)
- [ToolTip Component](../controls/tooltip-component-windows-forms.md)
- [Windows Forms Overview](../windows-forms-overview.md)
- [Windows Forms](../index.yml)