Monster Media 1993 #2/Image.iso/database/pk4pak.zip/HELPMAN.DOC

Text File | 1993-01-16 | 6KB | 125 lines

Here is the ESI Hypertext Help System. The name of the file is
helpsys.zip.

Fundamentally the Help System takes hypertext help panel text and
specifications as input, and produces a standalone hypertext help library as
output. Each library thus produced is packed with its own driver procedures,
and so can be freely distributed on its own. Usage entails:

       Autolib = "helpdir\\helplib"
       Hypertext.StartWithPanel(FirstPanelName)

FirstPanelName can be any panel, thus providing context-specific hypertext
help.

That's it!

Options are available to allow configuration of color etc.

As an alternative the developer can choose to display help panels from the
tables, providing the advantages of memo windows (primarily
reformattable text). I think the primary advantage of this last option is to
allow quick view of help panels during edit of help panels.

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To get started, play "helpedit" in the launch directory, and work your way
through the menu items from left to right.

{HelpPanel} will display the help panel pointed to by the cursor on the
panel list.

Place the cursor on the "HTEXT_BASICS" row, and select {HelpPanel}. You will
see the table-based help panel display.

Hit the [Tab] and [ShiftTab] keys a few times to get a feel for moving
around. Note the split hotspot "easily write". (It does nothing, just there
to demo split hotspot capability).

Of course you can move around with the mouse as well. Highlight
"Hypertext Edit system" with the [Tab] key, or move the cursor anywhere
within those words. Hit [Enter]. You shoule be on a different panel. Hit
[Esc]. You should be on the first panel again. Double click on the same
spot. You should be on the second panel again. Right click. You should be on
the first panel.

Now hit [Esc] until you climb out of the help system, or just hit [F2] or
click on the close icon of the window to jump out. Double click on the [Text
memo field] field. You should be back in the help system. [Esc]. Hit [CtrlF]
on the same field to get into the help system. [Esc]. Hit [F1] on the same
field as a third way to get into the help system. Hit [Esc]. Hit [ShiftF1]
no matter what field you're on as a fourth way of gettin to a help panel.

Hit [Esc] to get back to the list.

Move the list window half way down the screen. Select {HelpPanel} (or use
one of the other ways to get to a help panel). Now click on the list window
behind the help panel, or hit [CtrlF] or [CtrlF4] to get to the list window
while still being able to see the help panel behind the list window. Scroll
down the list of help windows, and notice that the help panel in the
background changes with each record movement, including the titles. This
allows you to scan your prose.

Select the help panel. Notice that the attributes (screen position) are
updated as soon as you make the help panel current.

Hit [CtrlF] to get back to the list.

You could hit {Specs} to see the detailed specs screen, but instead hit [F1]
or double click anywhere on the record *other than* on the text memo field.
You should be looking at the Help screen detail form. Note that the Memo
window is still visible. Move back and forth between the detail screen and
the help window. When on the detail screen scroll down or up a few master
records to watch the help window get updated in the background.

Place yourself on a detail help screen which has one or more keyword
records. Hit [F1] or double click on one, and note that the detail screen
changes to the screen for the reference of the previous screen. This may
take a bit of thought to get comfortable with.

Hit [F9] to enter edit mode. Change to the help window. Move to the bottom
and add a new keyword (HotSpot). Hit [CtrlS] to get the left hand delimiter,
type in your keyword (such as "Test") and hit [CtrlE] to enter the right
hand delimiter. You can also use [Alt175/Alt174], or the {HotSpot} menu
choice to get the delimiters into the text.

Hotspots must be 0 < length <= 32, and must have no spaces beside the
delimiters on the inside.

Hit [F2]. Watch the new keyword be placed into the list of keywords.
Associate a reference to the keyword by moving the the reference field and
hitting [F1] to get table lookup. You can enter a new reference manually, in
which you you will be asked if you want to add it to the database.

Move back to the help panel. Delete the "Test" keyword that you entered in
the text. Hit [F2] again. Note that the "Test" keyword in the database is
changed from "Active" to absent status. Delete that row. You cannot delete
"Active" records. Hit [F2].

Hit [Esc] To get back to the list.

Select {Generate}

Enter a valid path and the path, and "mylib" as the library.

Watch your first help library get generated.

Now select {RunLib}

The library you just built will be the default for the {RunLib} option. Accept
that. Enter "HTEXT_BASICS" for the panel name. Hit [Enter]. You should be in
a help panel. Hit [Esc]. Select {RunLib} again, accept the libspec, but enter
a different panel name (from the list in the background).

Select {Quit} to exit the system.

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It's worth scanning through helpman.sc, BTW, to see the effect that EventMan
has on code organization.

To generate your own help screens, use paradox to empty Helplist.db and
helpspec.db. in the helpman\data directory. Save any batches of help screens
you want to keep by copying the helpman\data files into subdirectories.

- Henrik