Viewing Documentation:

This application uses a standardized documentation viewer developed by students and faculty at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.  This Viewer replicates most of the Workspace File Viewer's features, including keyboard support.  When a document or selection of documents is desired, the user simply double-clicks the name of the document, the icon within the Icon Well, or single-clicks the "OK" button to display the related documentation.

Display Format:

Two display formats are offered.  The default is the NeXT standard browser display.  This is a two-column multi-level display that is functionally and aesthetically equivalent to the File Viewer.  Another option is the Outline format.  This displays all of the documentation beyond the current directory in a relative-depth outline format that uses directory names to separate outline levels.  This is useful to quickly look through all documentation available under specific topics.  Files may be viewed from this format in a manner identical to the Browser format.

Often information is available on a directory of information.  If an icon appears and the "OK" button becomes lit while clicking on a directory,  one may single click on the button or double click on the well to read the related documentation.

Keyboard Equivalents:

Several keyboard features are available.  The arrow keys function as within the File Viewer and other browsers.  You may also type in one or more characters, which will be automatically matched with filenames within the display.  To open a selection you may press the Return key.

Nonstandard Documentation:

The Documentation Viewer supports most standard .rtf, .rtfd, and .txt files.  Any files without these extensions are still supported, but in a slightly different manner.  Opening none-standard files will result in the equivalent of opening a file in the Workspace File Viewer.  Thus Mathematica files, Framemaker files, and nonstandard documentation apps and files may be available for individual use.  Be warned that you may leave your application when consulting such documentation.

Credits:

This object was created by Lans Carstensen and David Goodman under the guidelines of Dr. J. E. Froyd and Dr. A. R. Mech. for IFYCSEM and FSLC software development.  Original concepts and design work was done by David Holscher.  If you have any interest in this or other RHIT standard objects, please contact us at ifycsem@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu.