---
title: clsHelpTextCollection
summary: API reference for clsHelpTextCollection.
status: draft
owner: SAIF documentation generator
last_reviewed: 2026-08-17
library: SAIF.Presentation.Web.Controls.AJAX.Infragistics103
reference_type: package
---

# clsHelpTextCollection

`clsHelpTextCollection` is the read-only SAIF BOF business collection of `clsHelpText` children, retrieved in bulk for a given application code and keyed by `ReferenceKeyValue`. It implements [Retrieve all help text entries for an application](../../operations/retrieve-all-help-text-entries-for-an-application.md), typically used to prefetch/cache multiple help entries for a page's `HoverHelp` controls.

## Purpose
- Populates itself with one `clsHelpText` child per matching database row via `GetHelpTexts`, providing indexed and by-key lookup over the resulting set.
- Enforces retrieve-only semantics at the framework level, matching `clsHelpText`: `Criteria.CreateSQL`/`InsertSQL`/`UpdateSQL`/`DeleteSQL` all throw `ApplicationException(BOC.Messages.InvalidSQLProperty)`.

## Context
- Namespace: `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Controls.V2.AJAX`
- Assembly/package: `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Controls.AJAX.Infragistics103`

## Public members
| Member | Signature | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Item (Integer) | `Default ReadOnly Property Item(Index As Integer) As clsHelpText` | Positional access into the prefetched entries, for ordinal iteration over the whole set |
| Item (String) | `Default ReadOnly Property Item(inReferenceKeyValue As String) As clsHelpText` | Lookup mechanism `HoverHelp` and callers use to retrieve the help entry for a requested screen field/entity key without a separate database round-trip |
| CurrentItem | `Shadows ReadOnly Property CurrentItem() As clsHelpText` | The collection's cursor position typed as `clsHelpText`, for BOF-style current-record navigation |
| GetHelpTexts | `Shared Function GetHelpTexts(inDataportal As IDataPortalInfo, inApplicationCode As String) As clsHelpTextCollection` | Retrieves and returns a fully-populated collection via [SQL-HELP-002](../../sql/SQL-HELP-002-retrieve-all-help-text-entries-for-an-application.md) |
| Contains (clsHelpText) | `Overloads Function Contains(inHelpText As clsHelpText) As Boolean` | Indicates whether an equal `clsHelpText` instance already exists in the collection |
| Contains (String) | `Overloads Function Contains(inReferenceKeyValue As String) As Boolean` | Indicates whether a child with the given `ReferenceKeyValue` exists in the collection |

## Inherited public members

Members in this section are inherited from `clsBusinessCollectionBase`, the SAIF BOF read-only business-collection base class. They are available on this type through inheritance*.

| Member | Signature | Purpose | Origin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Count | `ReadOnly Property Count() As Integer` | The number of `clsHelpText` children currently in the collection | `SAIF.BOF.Framework` — `clsBusinessCollectionBase`* |
| AllowEdit | `Property AllowEdit() As Boolean` | Controls whether children in the collection can be edited in-place | `SAIF.BOF.Framework` — `clsBusinessCollectionBase`* |
| AllowRemove | `Property AllowRemove() As Boolean` | Controls whether children can be removed from the collection | `SAIF.BOF.Framework` — `clsBusinessCollectionBase`* |
| AllowSort | `Property AllowSort() As Boolean` | Controls whether the collection supports sorting its children | `SAIF.BOF.Framework` — `clsBusinessCollectionBase`* |
| AllowFind | `Property AllowFind() As Boolean` | Controls whether the collection supports find/lookup operations over its children | `SAIF.BOF.Framework` — `clsBusinessCollectionBase`* |
| IsValid | `ReadOnly Property IsValid() As Boolean` | Indicates whether every child in the collection currently satisfies its registered business-rule validations | `SAIF.BOF.Framework` — `clsBusinessCollectionBase`* |

## Behavioral notes
- The collection is configured `AllowEdit/AllowRemove/AllowSort/AllowFind = True`, `Managed = True` in its constructor — standard BOF collection semantics for a managed, in-memory list of business objects*.
- Collection-level `AfterRetrieve` performs no validation of its own; `Contains()` overloads provide in-memory lookup only, with no persisted business-rule enforcement.

## Constraints and usage notes
- The `Criteria` class is `Friend`, so consuming code outside this library cannot construct it directly; retrieval must go through `GetHelpTexts`.
- Any attempt to `Save()`/`Delete()` this collection or its children raises `ApplicationException(BOC.Messages.InvalidSQLProperty)` because no create/update/delete SQL exists — see [database tables](../../database-tables.md).

> **Note:** Statements marked with * were inferred from code structure, naming conventions, or
> contextual evidence where direct confirmation was not available in source artifacts. Statements
> marked with ** could not be confirmed; treat as unknown until verified.

## Sources
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Controls.AJAX.Infragistics103\clsHelpTextCollection.vb`
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Controls.AJAX.Infragistics103\clsHelpText.vb`