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HELP.DOC
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1990-06-10
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NOTE:
The following was clipped from the help screens available
within HELPCOM. If you are running the system and would like
to reference this, just enter HELPCOM with no command line
options:
BACKGROUND
HELPCOM and FINDHELP were conceived for the purpose of allowing
users, of a golf stats program called DBK, to add and edit help
files. Although intended for a specific program, this help system
was designed to be extremely generic.
If you are a shareware author or anyone that would like to create
a text-based seach-retrieval system, I would suggest you give this
one a try.
I had conducted a cursory search for help systems that would do
this type of thing and found nothing that matched my requirements.
At the time, it seemed like a very simple application and so
without a second thought, I jumped into it with enthusiasm.
I have purposely not put any flamboyant opening screens into
FINDHELP so that it loads quickly and so that it will blend well
with other systems. All I ask is that you include this program if
you distribute FINDHELP. If you are a shareware author, please
register one copy. I will not expect the same from your users.
If you have any suggestions, please contact me. I would like to
maintain these programs. Enter HELPCOM /A for contact and
registration info.
COMMON USES
I have set up this system to function as a simple on-line
text base at our office. When I have to answer a techincal
question, I document it into a .RAW file. Each week, I compile
all of the .RAW files into a .HLP/.NDX file. Then, when others
are looking for an answer, then can see if it's been asked before.
If it has, then they can just read the solution off the screen.
What's good about this is that you force others to read solutions
to other problems during their hunt. The larger the system
grows, the fewer questions I have to answer.
Another use for this system is disk based help for shareware
authors. I wrote a program called DBK that does stats for
golfers. The new version will be using this system to provide
users with help. Similar to the above example, each time I am
asked a question, I document it into a .RAW file. Then, with
each release, a new set of .HLP/.NDX files are included. Using
the FINDHELP utility, users can dig thru the help just as they
would use an index in a printed document.
DESIGN THEORY
HELPCOM builds an NDX file that contains 8 different variables
that are used to help locate information stored within the .HLP
file. A new NDX file is created each time you run HELPCOM.
Concurrently, the HLP file is also constructed by concatenating
each .RAW file after the header information has been removed.
Therefore, the HLP file is nothing more than all RAW files added
together excluding the header with is used to build the NDX file.
When a user searches for help with FINDHELP, the NDX file is
sequentially accessed and a list of all matches is presented to
the user. Using the up/dn arrow keys, the user selects the title
they wish to view. Using a random access technique on the text
file, the information is read from disk and displayed on the
screen in a box.
Currently, each RAW file will cost you 630 bytes in the NDX file.
RAW files may contain only 20 lines of information after the TEXT
keyword. You may have a maximum of 5 applications and up to 10
keywords. Both apps and keys may be up to 16 chars. Titles may
contain up to 40 chars. The variables that point to the starting
and ending positions in the text file are both long integer so the
size of the text file can be quite humoungous.
OPERTATION
Place these files into a sub-directory called TTB. Then make
a sub off of TTB called RAW. Each time that you think of
something that should be part of your help system, change over
to the RAW sub and create a text file using a .RAW extension.
The filename could be anything. For example, let's use
HELP0001.RAW... Starting with blank screen, you will create the
following:
APPLICATION:
KEYWORDS:
TITLE:
ADDED:
TEXT:
You MUST include the colons!
Every .RAW file begins with these five keywords. Therefore, you
should save these five words to a separate file called HEADER.
Then every time time you make a new .RAW file, merge in the
HEADER file first.
APPLICATIONS:
Ok, now insert the data under each keyword. For example, lets
say that you are writing a help system for a set of programs that
you have written or collected. The APPLICATION would be either a
very general topic of a program name. Another example might be
a text database that relates to computer knowledge. With this,
you might breakdown your applications as HARDWARE and SOFWARE.
You may have up to 5 different application names each separated
by one or more spaces.
KEYWORDS
The next line of data that you enter should be a list of keywords
that describe what the application is about. Using the previous
example, suppose that your application was HARDWARE. Some
keywords might be PRINTERS, MONITORS, HARD DRIVES. Note that
HARD DRIVES would be considered 2 keywords because of the space.
TITLE
Now give the text that you will be entering a title. Use up
to 40 characters to describe what the text is about.
ADDED
The added field is for the date the text information was added
to the database. Use the MMDDYY format.
TEXT
Now you can just type or merge in your text. Each text body
may contain up to 20 lines of 70 characters each. The reason to
limit each to 20 lines is so that searches can be effective. If
you have more than 20 lines worth, just create a second file
having a TITLE field called Blah, Blah PART 2of2 or as many
as necessary.
Heres what one .RAW file would look like:
APPLICATION:
HARDWARE
KEYWORDS:
PRINTERS DOT MATRIX 9 PIN CHEAP
TITLE:
10 Cheap printers I recommend (1/3)
ADDED:
062590
TEXT:
If you are looking for a good quality but inexpensive dot-matrix
printer....
.
.
Blah blah blah this might be line 22 ....
For more information, see parts 2/3 and 3/3
After you save a bunch of .RAW files, you need to make them into
a .HLP file using HELPCOM. This program will read the default
drive and strip out all keywords while making one large .HLP file.
The information contained in the header is placed into a .NDX file
that is used to retrieve information from the .HLP file.
HELPCOM should be run followed by a filename of up to 8
characters. e.g. HELPCOM SYSTEM
This will take all .RAW files and create a SYSTEM.HLP and
SYSTEM.NDX file.
Both the .HLP and .NDX file must be available before you can run
FINDHELP.
RUNNING FINDHELP
To search and retrieve from the .HLP file, you should enter
FINDHELP followed by the name of the file in which FINDHELP should
look. e.g. FINDHELP SYSTEM
This instructs FINDHELP to search the SYSTEM.NDX and SYSTEM.HLP
files for whatever criteria is entered by the user. The interface
portion of FINDHELP is quite straight-forward and should not
require much explanation.
This is an early release. Please feel free to offer me your
feedback.
FINDHELP and HELPCOM are shareware. They were written by me,
E.Kasemodel of Ann Arbor, MI. I am a member of the ASP and
will support these programs.
If you use them, please send $10 for the most recent copy.
Support can be obtained for registered users via the DBK
BBS. You have my permission to distribute these programs with
anything that you may have written only if you have registered.
These programs are used as part of the DBK golf stats system. If
you are a golfer and you would like to track your game this
season, give DBK a try!
For more information, please log-on to the DBK BBS at (313)
662-9160 or write to me at 401 Snyder Ave ■ Ann Arbor, MI
48103 (313) 668-8111 (voice)
My DBK BBS is open to everyone. Only registered users will be
supported. However, should you find a bug or have a suggestion -
please let me know!
Thanks.
-KASE