═══ 1. KwikINF overview ═══ KwikINF provides you with a quick and convenient method of accessing information in online documents stored in the OS/2* 2.x BOOKSHELF from anywhere on the desktop, with the exception of DOS or WIN-OS/2 sessions. When KwikINF has been started, you can open a dialog with KwikINF by pressing a user-selectable hot key. Until you configure KwikINF, your KwikINF hot key is ALT+Q. The KwikINF window includes a Configure push button. This opens another dialog with KwikINF: the Configure KwikINF window. The KwikINF window also allows you to initiate searches for text strings in online documents of choice. ═══ 1.1. Automatic text-retrieval ═══ The KwikINF window includes a Search String entry field. You can specify the text string you want KwikINF to search for. Or, under certain conditions, this entry field automatically contains the word located under the cursor when you press your KwikINF hot key. This text retrieval feature is available from OS/2 full-screen and Presentation Manager (PM) multi-line entry (MLE) fields. This feature is also available from PM AVIO and VIO windows. Communication Manager's 3270 emulator is a common example of a PM AVIO window. An OS/2 Window is a VIO window. This means that, if, for example, you open an OS/2 Window and start an OS/2 text-based application, KwikINF will automatically retrieve the word under the cursor when you press your KwikINF hot key. This automatic text-retrieval feature is not available from graphic-text PM windows. ═══ 1.2. Online documents in the BOOKSHELF ═══ The KwikINF window includes a Volume to Search list box of all online documents stored in the OS/2 BOOKSHELF subdirectories. KwikINF initiates searches for information in any online document in this list. The BOOKSHELF is an environment variable, set in CONFIG.SYS, that contains a list of subdirectories containing online documents created as viewable .INF files with the Information Presentation Facility (IPF). The BOOKSHELF environment variable is set as follows: SET BOOKSHELF=;...;; Online documents for OS/2 (for example, the Command Reference) are stored in the \OS2\BOOK subdirectory of the drive on which OS/2 is installed. Online documents for the OS/2 Toolkit (for example, the Programming References) are stored in the \TOOLKIT\BOOK subdirectory of the drive specified during installation of the online programming information. As an example, after installation of OS/2 and the OS/2 Toolkit, the BOOKSHELF environment variable is set as follows: SET BOOKSHELF=C:\OS2\BOOK;C:\TOOLKIT\BOOK; The online document where KwikINF looks for the Search String is selected from the Volume to Search list box by KwikINF or by you. KwikINF selects the Volume to Search by looking for the text string that has a matching entry in the KwikINF index file or, if there is no matching entry in the index file, in the Default Volume you have selected in the Configure KwikINF window. ═══ 1.3. Index files for rapid-searches ═══ The KwikINF index file provides a rapid-search mechanism for locating specific kinds of information in online documents in the BOOKSHELF. The KwikINF index file consists of one or more concatenated files stored in the BOOKSHELF and defined by the HELPNDX variable in CONFIG.SYS as shown in the following example: SET HELPNDX=EPMKWHLP.NDX where EPMKWHLP.NDX is the KwikINF index file for the OS/2 Toolkit. As an example, the following excerpt from the KwikINF index file for the OS/2 Toolkit: EXTENSIONS: * DESCRIPTION: IBM Developer's Toolkit for OS/2 (IPF*, view ipf.inf ~) (WinCreateWindow, view pmref.inf ~) is used by KwikINF to quickly locate Search String entries with the prefix IPF in the IPF-viewable file IPF.INF. and to quickly locate the specific Search String entry WinCreateWindow in the IPF-viewable file PMREF.INF. The first token in a rapid-search string is a specific text string (for example, WinCreateWindow) or prefix wildcard (for example, IPF*). The second token is the name of the IPF file viewer (VIEW.EXE). The third and fourth tokens are parameters for VIEW.EXE: the name of the .INF file that contains the online document and the text-string you want VIEW.EXE to locate within the online document. The ~ character tells KwikINF to use the first token in the rapid-search string as the text-string to locate within the online document. ═══ 1.4. Enabling any online document for KwikINF ═══ You can enable any online document for KwikINF by: 1. Creating the online document as a viewable .INF file using the Information Presentation Facility (IPF). 2. Adding the name of the subdirectory where it is stored to the PATH statement in CONFIG.SYS 3. Appending the name of the subdirectory where it is stored to the BOOKSHELF in CONFIG.SYS 4. Creating an index file to support the KwikINF rapid-search mechanism, storing it in the BOOKSHELF, and adding it to the HELPNDX variable in CONFIG.SYS. For example, you can enable your online document MYDOC stored in MYSUBDIR subdirectory for KwikINF by: 1. Compiling the tagged source for MYDOC with the IPF compiler by entering: IPFC MYDOC /INF 2. Modifying the PATH statement in CONFIG.SYS as follows: SET PATH=...;C:\MYSUBDIR; 3. Modifying the BOOKSHELF statement in CONFIG.SYS as follows: SET BOOKSHELF=...;C:\MYSUBDIR; 4. Creating MYINDEX file in MYSUBDIR as shown below: /* C style comments and blank lines are acceptable */ /* specific file extensions may be specified here */ EXTENSIONS: * /* a title may be placed here */ DESCRIPTION: Any custom KwikINF index file /* rapid-search strings */ (thisfunction, view mydoc.inf ~) (my*, view mydoc.inf ~) 5. Modifying the HELPNDX variable in CONFIG.SYS as follows: SET HELPNDX=EPMKWHLP.NDX+MYINDEX.NDX For more information on creating an IPF-viewable online document, see the IPF Reference in the Toolkit Development Tools folder. ═══ 2. Using KwikINF ═══ KwikINF is installed as a program object in the OS/2 Toolkit Development Tools folder. You start KwikINF by double-clicking on the KwikINF object or by entering KwikINF from the command line of an OS/2 Window. You can start KwikINF automatically when you start OS/2 by placing a shadow of the KwikINF object in the Startup folder in the OS/2 System folder on the desktop. You shadow an object by pressing CTRL + SHIFT while dragging the object. KwikINF installs a PM system hook to monitor keystrokes in PM sessions and OS/2 character device monitors to monitor keystrokes in OS/2 full-screen sessions. KwikINF will install only one copy of the hook and monitors, even if you attempt to re-start KwikINF. When KwikINF has been started, you can initiate searches for text strings in online documents of choice by pressing a user-selectable hot key. Note: You cannot initiate searches for text strings in online documents from DOS or WIN-OS/2 sessions. Until you configure KwikINF, your KwikINF hot key is ALT+Q. You configure KwikINF by pressing your KwikINF hot key and then pressing the Configure push button to open the Configure KwikINF window. Note: When you start KwikINF by double-clicking on the KwikINF object in the Toolkit Development Tools folder, a message box tells you what hot key opens the KwikINF window. This technique can also be used to determine what your current KwikINF hot key is, after KwikINF has been started. How you initiate a search for information in online documents is dependent on where you are on the desktop when you press the KwikINF hot key:  From an OS/2 full-screen session, a PM VIO or AVIO window, or PM MLE: position the cursor on the string you want to search for and press the KwikINF hot key. KwikINF retrieves the word at the cursor. If you have configured KwikINF to display the KwikINF window when the KwikINF hot key is pressed, KwikINF automatically places the retrieved word in the Search String entry field of the KwikINF window. When you press the Search push button or Enter, KwikINF displays the information. If you have configured KwikINF to bypass the KwikINF window when the KwikINF hot key is pressed, KwikINF automatically displays the information. If no word is under the cursor, the previous Search String is used. If no previous Search String exists, KwikINF displays the Contents of the Default volume to search.  From a graphic-text PM window: press the KwikINF hot key, then type the string you want to search for in the Search String entry field of the KwikINF window. The KwikINF text-retrieval feature is not available from graphic-text PM windows. The online document where KwikINF looks for the text string is selected from the Volume to Search list box by KwikINF or by you. To open the online document to the panel that contains the information, press the Search push button or press Enter. ═══ 3. Invoking KwikINF from a command line ═══ You can start, terminate, and configure KwikINF from a command line in an OS/2 Window by entering: KwikINF [no options] [/C] [/T] [/?] where: no options starts KwikINF. After entering this command, the default KwikINF hot key (ALT + Q) is enabled. /T terminates KwikINF and disables the KwikINF hot key. /C opens the Configure KwikINF window. Use this window to select another KwikINF hot key, to select a default online document from the BOOKSHELF to search, and to select the activation behavior of the KwikINF window. /? displays the following information. Usage: KwikINF [Option] Option Description /C Configure KwikINF /T Terminate KwikINF /? This short help list ═══ 4. Configuring KwikINF ═══ You configure KwikINF through the Configure KwikINF window. KwikINF displays this window when you press the Configure push button on the KwikINF window or when you enter the following from the command line of an OS/2 Window: KwikINF /C The Configure KwikINF window allows you to:  Select another KwikINF hot key  Specify the number of OS/2 full-screen sessions enabled for KwikINF  Specify the name of the default online document KwikINF searches  Select the activation behavior of the KwikINF window. Use the push buttons on the Configure KwikINF window as follows:  Press OK to enable your configuration choices.  Press Cancel to cancel your configuration choices. This closes the Configure KwikINF window.  Press Help to get general help for the current window. ═══ 4.1. Activation Key Sequence ═══ The Activation Key Sequence provides a selectable list of KwikINF hot keys. To access the list, single-click on the down arrow. Select the KwikINF hot key of your choice from the following list: CTRL + A CTRL + H CTRL + Q ALT + A ALT + Q (this is the default hot key) The KwikINF hot key initiates searches for information in online documents from anywhere on the desktop, with the exception of DOS or WIN-OS/2 sessions. ═══ 4.2. Full Screen Sessions ═══ Use the Number of Fullscreen Sessions to Monitor spin button to specify the number of OS/2 full-screen sessions enabled for KwikINF. KwikINF is implemented as a PM system hook to monitor keystrokes in PM sessions and as OS/2 character device monitors to monitor keystrokes in OS/2 full-screen sessions. For OS/2 full-screen sessions, KwikINF will monitor only the number of sessions specified here. ═══ 4.3. Default Volume to Search ═══ Use the Default Volume to Search single selection list box to specify which online document in the BOOKSHELF you want KwikINF to search by default. KwikINF looks for the Search String in this online document, when there is no matching entry in the KwikINF index file. Select the online document, then select the OK push button to activate the selection. ═══ 4.4. Activation Behavior ═══ Use the Activation Behavior radio buttons to select the behavior of the KwikINF window. The KwikINF window can be displayed or bypassed when the user presses the KwikINF hot key after KwikINF has been installed.  Select the Display KwikINF Window radio button to tell KwikINF that you always want the KwikINF window to be displayed when you press the KwikINF hot key to initiate searches for information. This is the default behavior of the KwikINF window. When the you press the KwikINF hot key, you can initiate a search for the text string that may be automatically displayed in the Search String entry field or for the text string that you enter into this field. You can also specify which online document in the BOOKSHELF KwikINF searches for the text string.  Select the Bypass KwikINF Window radio button to tell KwikINF that you do not want the KwikINF window to be displayed when you press the KwikINF hot key to initiate searches for information. This is typically used when working under conditions where the KwikINF automatic text-retrieval feature is available. When you press the KwikINF hot key, KwikINF automatically looks for the text string under the cursor in the online document that has a matching entry in the KwikINF index file or, if there is no matching entry in the index file, in the Default volume selected from the Configure KwikINF window. You configure KwikINF by pressing the Configure push button in the KwikINF window. To configure KwikINF when this window is bypassed, press SHIFT + your KwikINF hotkey to display the Configure KwikINF window. ═══ 5. Searching for information using the KwikINF window ═══ If you have configured KwikINF to display the KwikINF window (this is the default condition), the KwikINF window is displayed when you press your KwikINF hot key. The KwikINF window allows you to search for a text string in an online document in the OS/2 BOOKSHELF. The text string is typed by you in the Search String entry field or is automatically retrieved by KwikINF, under certain conditions, from under the cursor when you press your KwikINF hot key. The online document that KwikINF searches for the text string is selected from the Volume to Search list box by KwikINF or by you. KwikINF selects the Volume to Search by looking for the text string that has a matching entry in the KwikINF index file or, if there is no matching entry in the index file, in the Default Volume you have selected in the Configure KwikINF window. Or you can override KwikINF's selection of the Volume to Search by making your own selection from the list box. To initiate the search for the text string in the online document, press the Search push button or press Enter. If the search is successful, KwikINF opens the online document to the online panel that contains the information and displays a window with a title bar that matches the search string. If the search is not successful, you can search any online document for the information by following this procedure:  Clear the Search String entry field.  Select an online document from the Volume to Search list box. The Contents window of the online document appears.  Select Services from the menu bar.  Select Searchfrom the Services pull down menu. The Search help window appears.  Type the text string, then select the All libraries radio button.  Select the Search push button or press Enter. Use the push buttons on the KwikINF window as follows:  Press Search to initiate the search for the text string in the Search String entry field in the selected online document.  Press Cancel to cancel the request to search for the text string and to close the KwikINF window.  Press Configure to display the Configure KwikINF window.  Press Help to get general help for the current window. ═══ 5.1. Search String entry field ═══ KwikINF searches for the text string in this entry field in the selected online document in the OS/2 BOOKSHELF. Under certain conditions, KwikINF automatically retrieves the word under the cursor when you press your KwikINF hot key. Letters, numbers, underscores, and the pound sign are retrievable by KwikINF. Blank spaces and other special characters are used as delimiters and are not retrievable by KwikINF. You may also type any text string you want into this field. All characters are valid in the entry field to allow for special search criteria. ═══ 5.2. Volume to Search list box ═══ The KwikINF window includes a list box of all online documents stored in the OS/2 BOOKSHELF subdirectories. KwikINF initiates searches for information in any online document in this list. The online document where KwikINF looks for the Search String is selected from the Volume to Search list box by KwikINF or by you. KwikINF selects the Volume to Search by looking for the text string that has a matching entry in the KwikINF index file or, if there is no matching entry in the index file, in the Default Volume you have selected in the Configure KwikINF window. Or you can override KwikINF's selection of the Volume to Search by making your own selection from the list box. You can also open and display the Contents of an online document by double-clicking on an entry in this list box. ═══ IBM Trademark ═══ Trademark of the IBM Corporation. ═══ KwikINF Keys Help ═══ Use your KwikINF hot key (ALT+Q or the hot key you select from the Configure KwikINF window) to display the KwikINF window. You can also use your KwikINF hot key to initiate a search for a text string automatically, when you configure KwikINF to bypass the KwikINF window. To re-configure KwikINF, when you have configured KwikINF to bypass the KwikINF window, press SHIFT + your KwikINF hot key. To determine what your KwikINF hot key is, double-click on the KwikINF program object in the OS/2 Toolkit Development Tools folder.