Copyright: Copyright © 1991-1994 Blue Sky Software
Citation: Created with RoboHELP. Copyright 1991-1994 Blue Sky Software. All rights reserved.


Contents
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

	Help Basics
	Fonts
	Colors
	Design & Layout
	Bullets
	Tables
	Secondary Windows
	Non-Scrolling Regions
	Macros
	Help Source Files


Help Basics
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Help Basics

What is Windows Help?

Windows Help is a system-wide standard for developing online help and its installed with every copy of Windows.  It consists of a Help viewer and a Help compiler for developers.  Windows Help usually called WinHelp is a standalone Windows application.  The WinHelp executable ((WINHELP.EXE) uses compiled Help files (.HLP) only.  WinHelp applications can be linked to another Windows application or can be used standalone as information systems.

Advantages of Online Help

Windows Help has become a very popular way of presenting reference information to a Windows user.  Windows users are notorious for not using manuals: they expect to find answers to all their questions via context-sensitive help in their Windows applications.  Window Help reduces the cost of goods, updates, and distribution.  It adds flexibility to the product development cycle; its faster to update than a manual.  Its instantly available to the user and offers the potential of almost unlimited color graphics and multimedia capability.  The library of Help topics.also allows users to quickly access the information needed.


Fonts
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Fonts

In a Help system you can use different fonts to emphasize text. Windows comes with several standard fonts that are installed on every Windows system. For Help systems it is best to use standard fonts - if you use a font that isn't on the Help user's system, the result can be strange looking (difficult to read) text. Sans serif fonts are best for help systems as they tend to have a crisper display on-screen.

The Arial font was used to create this Help system. Other standard Windows 3.1 fonts that the Help compiler supports include:

TrueType:

Courier New

Σψμβολ (Symbol)

Times New Roman

Standard:

Courier

MS Sans Serif

MS Serif

Small Fonts

You can also add font characteristics such as:

bold

italic

underline

strikethrough

bold italic

etc.


Colors
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Colors

This topic shows the colors that were defined as part of the help system. You can use any of the colors available to your system just by selecting a color for the font. When the help system is compiled, the text appears in the specified color.

In most cases, the default color is black, although it can be any color. Other colors available to Windows Help are:

Blue	Cyan	Green	Magenta

Red	Yellow	(white)	Dark Blue

Dark Cyan	Dark Green	Dark Magenta	Dark Red

Dark Yellow	Dark Gray	Gray

As you can see, some of the lighter colors don't show up well on the white background. It is helpful to keep this in mind when you are selecting the colors for your help system.


Design and Layout
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Design & Layout

This guide demonstrates some of the design schemes that you can use in a Windows Help system. This section illustrates just one way of organizing information for the user - using a hierarchical format with expandable/collapsible views. Below are graphical buttons - with associated jump text - that the user can select to see detailed information.

If you have the source code version of this guide, you can use this document as a template for your own help systems. For information on how to request your free copy of source code, select the About button (above).

Expandable/Collapsible views

	Book Layout
	Folder Layout


Book Layout
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Book Layout

  Overview

  About

  Contents


Book Layout Overview
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Book Layout

  Overview

  Help Basics

  Help Source Files

  About

  Contents


Book Layout About
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Book Layout

  Overview

  About

  About this Help System

  Contents


Book Layout Contents
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Book Layout

  Overview

  About

  Contents

  Fonts

  Colors

  Bullets

  Tables

  Secondary Windows

  Non-Scrolling Regions


Folder Layout
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Folder Layout

  Overview

  About

  Contents


Folder Layout Overview
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Folder Layout

  Overview

  Help Basics

  Help Source Files

  About

  Contents


Folder Layout About
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Folder Layout

  Overview

  About

  About this Help System

  Contents


Folder Layout Contents
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Folder Layout

  Overview

  About

  Contents

  Fonts

  Colors

  Bullets

  Tables

  Secondary Windows

  Non-Scrolling Regions


Help Basics Text
Help Basics

What is Windows Help?

When Microsoft developed Windows they saw the need for a system-wide standard for developing online help. The result was Windows Help. It consists of a Help viewer that is installed with every copy of Windows and a Help compiler (for developers) which follows a strict set of construction rules.

•	Windows Help (also known as WinHelp) is a standalone Windows application.

•	The WinHelp (WINHELP.EXE) executable file uses compiled Help files (.HLP).

•	WinHelp is included with every copy of Windows 3.

•	WinHelp applications can be linked to another application or can stand alone for information delivery.

Advantages of Online Help

Windows Help has become one of the most (if not the most) popular ways of presenting reference information to a Windows user. Some of the reasons for this include:

•	Reduces cost of goods, updates, and distribution.

•	Adds flexibility to the product development cycle by avoiding delays required by printing.

•	Eliminates unmanageable full-shelf manual sets for complex products.

•	Is always available versus manuals that disappear or are not provided to all users at a site.

•	Offers the potential of almost unlimited color graphics and multimedia capability.

•	Provides efficient means of access to the library of Help topics.

•	Integrates the process of using the product and learning about the product.


Help Source Files Text
Help Source Files

A Windows help system is comprised of the following files:


Fonts Text
Fonts

In a Help system you can use different fonts to emphasize text. Windows comes with several standard fonts that are installed on every Windows system. For Help systems it is best to use standard fonts - if you use a font that isn't on the Help user's system, the result can be strange looking (difficult to read) text. Sans serif fonts are best for help systems as they tend to have a crisper display on-screen.

The Arial font was used to create this Help system. Other standard Windows 3.1 fonts that the Help compiler supports include:

TrueType:

Courier New

Σψμβολ (Symbol)

Times New Roman

Standard:

Courier

MS Sans Serif

MS Serif

Small Fonts

You can also add font characteristics such as:

bold

italic

underline

strikethrough

bold italic

etc.


Colors Text
Colors

This topic shows the colors that were defined as part of the help system. You can use any of the colors available to your system just by selecting a color for the font. When the help system is compiled, the text appears in the specified color.

In most cases, the default color is black, although it can be any color. Other colors available to Windows Help are:

Blue	Cyan	Green	Magenta

Red	Yellow	(white)	Dark Blue

Dark Cyan	Dark Green	Dark Magenta	Dark Red

Dark Yellow	Dark Gray	Gray

As you can see, some of the lighter colors don't show up well on the white background. It is helpful to keep this in mind when you are selecting the colors for your help system.


Bullets Text
Bullets

Bullets are a common type of formatting in printed documentation. Most often used to set a list apart from the surrounding text, they can add a distinctive look to your work. The Windows Help compiler recognizes some types of bullets, but not all. After choosing your bullet, you may want to do a quick compile and check to verify the bullet shows in Help.

There are two ways to incorporate bullets into your help systems:

•	Place a bullet character, such as a symbol, into the text.

OR

Create a bitmap, and place it in the Help system as a character. This approach allows you to create custom bullets.

You can use any type of bullet (or bitmap):

such as a diamond

OR

a square


Tables Text
Tables

You can create several types of special effects in your help system using tables. One example is the Contents topic of this help system - a table was used so that different spacing (above) could be used for the icons and the text.

An important consideration when using tables is that the text wrap is determined by the table width, not the Help Viewer. In normal text, the Viewer automatically wraps the text when you resize the window - this doesn't happen if you use tables. Therefore, tables are best used for small bits of text.

Table Tricks

In the example below, the text overlays a graphic. This was accomplished by using a table with a narrow left column (too small for the graphic):

	Overlaying Text
You can add colors to create a table-like effect by inserting a pre-built bitmap into the help system:


Secondary Windows Text
Secondary Windows

By default your help text displays in the "main" window. You can add "secondary" windows that display in addition to your main window. Either type of window can be positioned anywhere on the screen, and you can set the windows to be "on top" - covering all other open windows. A window is just a place where information is displayed - when you tell the help system to display a topic, you can also tell it which window is to contain the text. (Note that secondary windows are different than popups - see the samples, below.)


Non-Scrolling Regions Text
Non-Scrolling Regions

In most topics in this Help System, the area at the top is separate from the rest - if you scroll the text, this upper section does not move. This is a non-scrolling region.

Some rules for non-scrolling regions:

•	non-scrolling regions are generally used for the topic title

•	they must always come before any scrolling regions

To define a non-scrolling region, you just format the paragraph as "keep with next."


Bullets
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Bullets

Bullets are a common type of formatting in printed documentation. Most often used to set a list apart from the surrounding text, they can add a distinctive look to your work. The Windows Help compiler recognizes some types of bullets, but not all. After choosing your bullet, you may want to do a quick compile and check to verify the bullet shows in Help.

There are two ways to incorporate bullets into your help systems:

•	Place a bullet character, such as a symbol, into the text.

OR

Create a bitmap, and place it in the Help system as a character. This approach allows you to create custom bullets.

You can use any type of bullet (or bitmap):

such as a diamond

OR

a square


Tables
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Tables

You can create several types of special effects in your help system using tables. One example is the Contents topic of this help system - a table was used so that different spacing (above) could be used for the icons and the text.

An important consideration when using tables is that the text wrap is determined by the table width, not the Help Viewer. In normal text, the Viewer automatically wraps the text when you resize the window - this doesn't happen if you use tables. Therefore, tables are best used for small bits of text.

Table Tricks

In the example below, the text overlays a graphic. This was accomplished by using a table with a narrow left column (too small for the graphic):

	Overlaying Text
You can add colors to create a table-like effect by inserting a pre-built bitmap into the help system:


Secondary Windows
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Secondary Windows

By default your help text displays in the "main" window. You can add "secondary" windows that display in addition to your main window. Either type of window can be positioned anywhere on the screen, and you can set the windows to be "on top" - covering all other open windows. A window is just a place where information is displayed - when you tell the help system to display a topic, you can also tell it which window is to contain the text. (Note that secondary windows are different than popups - see the samples, below.)


Using Secondary Windows
Display in Secondary Window

You can display text using the main window, a secondary window, or a popup.

Secondary windows are movable and sizable, allowing you to place them anywhere on the screen.

They also have other typical features of windows, such as the:

•	control box

•	minimize button

•	maximize button

•	restore button

If the text is long enough, when you display it in a secondary window, you will see scroll bars. Note that the non-scrolling region at the top stays static (does not scroll with the text in the client area of the window).


Using Popup Windows
Display in Popup

You can display text using the main window, a secondary window, or a popup.

Popup windows are not movable or sizable - the size and placement are determined by the Windows Help Viewer.

Popup windows do not support the use of non-scrolling regions.


Non-Scrolling Regions
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Non-Scrolling Regions

In most topics in this Help System, the area at the top is separate from the rest - if you scroll the text, this upper section does not move. This is a non-scrolling region.

Some rules for non-scrolling regions:

•	non-scrolling regions are generally used for the topic title

•	they must always come before any scrolling regions

To define a non-scrolling region, you just format the paragraph as "keep with next."


Non-Scrolling Region

This is an example of a topic with a non-scrolling region.

The title ("Non-Scrolling Region") was formatted as "keep with next" so that it would display in the non-scrolling region of the secondary window.

When you use the scroll button to scroll text up or down, the non-scrolling region stays static.

You can add also use non-scrolling regions to add color to your help system. You do this by defining the non-scrolling region of each window to have a different color, as in this help system.

Note that popup windows so not have the non-scrolling capability. If you use a popup to display a topic that has a "keep with next" paragraph format, only that paragraph will display (you lose everything after the non-scrolling region).


Macros
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Macros

You can use macros to tailor the behavior of your help system. For example, you could include a bitmap of a Close button that, when selected, executes the macro CloseWindow.

To see a list of available macros in each category, select the folder or the category name. Then, to see the macro definition, select the macro name in the list.

Macros are available for the following types of tasks:

  Menu Manipulation

  Button Manipulation

  Navigation

  Conditional Control

  Dialog Control

  Window Control

  Miscellaneous


Menu Manipulation Macros
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Macros

You can use macros to tailor the behavior of your help system. For example, you could include a bitmap of a Close button that, when selected, executes the macro CloseWindow.

To see a list of available macros in each category, select the folder or the category name. Then, to see the macro definition, select the macro name in the list.

Macros are available for the following types of tasks:

  Menu Manipulation

Menu manipulation macros enable you to add, delete, change, disable, and enable WinHelp menus and menu items.

  AppendItem

  ChangeItemBinding

  CheckItem

  DeleteItem

  DisableItem

  EnableItem

  ExtAbleItem

  ExtInsertItem

  ExtInsertMenu

  FloatingMenu

  InsertItem

  InsertMenu

  ResetMenu

  UncheckItem

  Button Manipulation

  Navigation

  Conditional Control

  Dialog Control

  Window Control

  Miscellaneous

For further information on WinHelp macros, refer to the WinHelp Macro Authoring Guide - for contact information, choose the About button.


Button Manipulation Macros
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Macros

You can use macros to tailor the behavior of your help system. For example, you could include a bitmap of a Close button that, when selected, executes the macro CloseWindow.

To see a list of available macros in each category, select the folder or the category name. Then, to see the macro definition, select the macro name in the list.

Macros are available for the following types of tasks:

  Menu Manipulation

  Button Manipulation

Button manipulation macros allow you to add, delete, change the function of, enable, or disable buttons on the WinHelp button bar.

  BrowseButtons

  ChangeButtonBinding

  CreateButton

  DestroyButton

  DisableButton

  EnableButton

  Navigation

  Conditional Control

  Dialog Control

  Window Control

  Miscellaneous

For further information on WinHelp macros, refer to the WinHelp Macro Authoring Guide - for contact information, choose the About button.


Navigation Macros
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Macros

You can use macros to tailor the behavior of your help system. For example, you could include a bitmap of a Close button that, when selected, executes the macro CloseWindow.

To see a list of available macros in each category, select the folder or the category name. Then, to see the macro definition, select the macro name in the list.

Macros are available for the following types of tasks:

  Menu Manipulation

  Button Manipulation

  Navigation

Navigation macros enable you to control the sequence in which topics are displayed.

  Back

  Contents

  GoToMark

  JumpContents

  JumpContext

  JumpHash

  JumpHelpOn

  JumpId

  JumpKeyword

  Next

  PopupContext

  PopupHash

  PopupId

  Prev

  Conditional Control

  Dialog Control

  Window Control

  Miscellaneous

For further information on WinHelp macros, refer to the WinHelp Macro Authoring Guide - for contact information, choose the About button.


Conditional Control Macros
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Macros

You can use macros to tailor the behavior of your help system. For example, you could include a bitmap of a Close button that, when selected, executes the macro CloseWindow.

To see a list of available macros in each category, select the folder or the category name. Then, to see the macro definition, select the macro name in the list.

Macros are available for the following types of tasks:

  Menu Manipulation

  Button Manipulation

  Navigation

  Conditional Control

Conditional control macros allow you to set and delete text markers, and execute other macros based on the existence (or nonexistence) of a specific text marker.

  DeleteMark

  IfThen

  IfThenElse

  IsMark

  Not

  SaveMark

  Dialog Control

  Window Control

  Miscellaneous

For further information on WinHelp macros, refer to the WinHelp Macro Authoring Guide - for contact information, choose the About button.


Dialog Control Macros
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Macros

You can use macros to tailor the behavior of your help system. For example, you could include a bitmap of a Close button that, when selected, executes the macro CloseWindow.

To see a list of available macros in each category, select the folder or the category name. Then, to see the macro definition, select the macro name in the list.

Macros are available for the following types of tasks:

  Menu Manipulation

  Button Manipulation

  Navigation

  Conditional Control

  Dialog Control

The dialog control macros allow you to display WinHelp dialog boxes in response to the user's input.

  About

  Annotate

  BookmarkDefine

  BookmarkMore

  CopyDialog

  FileOpen

  History

  PrinterSetup

  Search

  Window Control

  Miscellaneous

For further information on WinHelp macros, refer to the WinHelp Macro Authoring Guide - for contact information, choose the About button.


Window Control Macros
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Macros

You can use macros to tailor the behavior of your help system. For example, you could include a bitmap of a Close button that, when selected, executes the macro CloseWindow.

To see a list of available macros in each category, select the folder or the category name. Then, to see the macro definition, select the macro name in the list.

Macros are available for the following types of tasks:

  Menu Manipulation

  Button Manipulation

  Navigation

  Conditional Control

  Dialog Control

  Window Control

The window control macros allow you to move, size, and change the state of WinHelp windows.

  CloseWindow

  FocusWindow

  HelpOn

  HelpOnTop

  PositionWindow

  Miscellaneous

For further information on WinHelp macros, refer to the WinHelp Macro Authoring Guide - for contact information, choose the About button.


Miscellaneous Macros
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Macros

You can use macros to tailor the behavior of your help system. For example, you could include a bitmap of a Close button that, when selected, executes the macro CloseWindow.

To see a list of available macros in each category, select the folder or the category name. Then, to see the macro definition, select the macro name in the list.

Macros are available for the following types of tasks:

  Menu Manipulation

  Button Manipulation

  Navigation

  Conditional Control

  Dialog Control

  Window Control

  Miscellaneous

Macros are available for such tasks as copying and printing help topics, executing programs, and exiting WinHelp.

  AddAccelerator

  Command

  CopyTopic

  ExecProgram

  Exit

  Print

  RegisterRoutine

  RemoveAccelerator

  SetContents

  SetHelpOnFile

For further information on WinHelp macros, refer to the WinHelp Macro Authoring Guide - for contact information, choose the About button.


Help Source Files
The Windows Help Style Guide

You can easily create a help system with the features demonstrated here - this guide shows you how. This guide was created with RoboHELP®.

Help Source Files

A Windows help system is comprised of the following files:


About


Order Form


About Macro
About

Description	Displays the WinHelp application's About topic.

Syntax	About()


AddAccelerator (AA)

Description	Assigns a help macro to an accelerator key or key or key combination so that the macro is executed when the accelerator key is pressed.

Syntax	AddAccelerator(key, shift-state, `macro')


Annotate

Description	Displays the WinHelp application's Annotate dialog box, as if the user had selected Annotate from the Edit menu.

Syntax	Annotate()


AppendItem

Description	Appends a menu item to the end of an existing menu - either one of the default menus or one created with the InsertMenu macro.

Syntax	AppendItem(`menu-id', `item-name', `macro')


Back

Description	Displays the previous topic in the history list. This is a list of the topics displayed since starting WinHelp. Topics displayed in popup windows are not included in this list. The function of this macro is identical to selecting the Back button.

Syntax	Back()


BookmarkDefine

Description	Displays the Bookmark Define dialog box. Executing this macro is the same as selecting Define from the Bookmark menu.

Syntax	BookmarkDefine()


BookmarkMore

Description	Displays the Bookmark dialog box. Executing this macro is the same as selecting More from the Bookmark menu. The More item appears on the Bookmark menu if there are more than nine bookmarks defined.

Syntax	BookmarkMore()


BrowseButtons

Description	Adds the browse buttons, << and >>, to the WinHelp button bar.

Syntax	BrowseButtons()


ChangeButtonBinding (CBB)

Description	Assigns a new macro or macro string to a help button, replacing the button's previously-defined action.

Syntax	ChangeButtonBinding(`button-id', `macro')


ChangeItemBinding (CIB)

Description	Assigns a new macro or macro string to a help menu item, replacing the item's previously-defined action.

Syntax	ChangeItemBinding(`item-id', `macro')


CheckItem (CI)

Description	Places a check-mark beside a help menu item.

Syntax	CheckItem(`menu-id')


CloseWindow

Description	Closes either a secondary window or the main help window.

Syntax	CloseWindow(`window-name')


Command

Description	Executes a WinHelp menu command, based on the command number passed to it.

Syntax	Command(command-number)


Contents

Description	Displays the Contents topic in the current help file. The Contents topic is defined by the CONTENTS option in the [OPTIONS] section of the help project file. If no Contents topic is defined, the Contents topic defaults to the first topic in the first topic file specified in the [FILES] section of the help project file.

Syntax	Contents()


CopyDialog

Description	Displays the Copy dialog box. Copies the text from the current topic into the Copy dialog box where portions of the text may be selected and copied to the Windows Clipboard. Executing this macro is the same as selecting Copy from the Edit menu.

Syntax	CopyDialog()


CopyTopic

Description	Copies all of the text in the currently displayed topic to the Clipboard. Executing this macro is the same as pressing Ctrl+Ins in the main help window.

Syntax	CopyTopic()


CreateButton

Description	Creates a button and adds it to the button bar.

Syntax	CreateButton(`button-id', `name', `macro')


DeleteItem

Description	Removes an item from a WinHelp menu.

Syntax	DeleteItem(`item-id')


DeleteMark

Description	Removes a text marker that was previously added with the SaveMark macro.

Syntax	DeleteMark(`marker-text')


DestroyButton

Description	Removes a button that was previously added with the CreateButton macro.

Syntax	DestroyButton(`button-id')


DisableButton (DB)

Description	Disables (grays-out) a button on the WinHelp button bar. The disabled button will remain inoperative until it is re-enabled with the EnableButton macro.

Syntax	DisableButton(`button-id')


DisableItem (DI)

Description	Disables (grays out) a WinHelp menu item. The item will remain disabled until it is re-activated with EnableItem or ExtAbleItem, or until the menu is reset using ResetMenu.

Syntax	DisableItem(`item-id')


EnableButton (EB)

Description	Re-enables a button that was previously disabled with the DisableButton macro.

Syntax	EnableButton(`button-id')


EnableItem (EI)

Description	Re-enables a menu item that was previously disabled with DisableItem or ExtAbleItem.

Syntax	EnableItem(`item-id')


ExecProgram (EP)

Description	Executes an application.

Syntax	ExecProgram(`command-line', display-state)


Exit

Description	Exits the WinHelp application. The action of this macro is identical to selecting Exit on the File menu.

Syntax	Exit()


ExtAbleItem

Description	Enables or disables a specified menu item.

Syntax	ExtAbleItem(`item-id', enabled-state)


ExtInsertItem

Description	Inserts an item into a WinHelp menu and allows the initial enabled state (enabled or disabled) to be specified.

Syntax	ExtInsertItem(`menu-id',`item-id', `item-name',`macro',position,enabled-state)


ExtInsertMenu

Description	Inserts a sub-menu as an item in a previously-defined menu, and allows the initial enabled state (enabled or disabled) to be specified.

Syntax	ExtInsertMenu(`parent-id',`menu-id',`menu-name',position,enabled-state)


FileOpen

Description	Displays the Open dialog box from the File menu.

Syntax	FileOpen()


FloatingMenu

Description	Displays the floating menu at the current mouse cursor position.

Syntax	FloatingMenu()


FocusWindow

Description	Changes the focus to the specified window - either the main help window, or a secondary window.

Syntax	FocusWindow(`window-name')


GotoMark

Description	Jumps to a text marker that was previously set with the SaveMark macro.

Syntax	GotoMark(`marker-text')


HelpOn

Description	Displays the help file for the WinHelp application. Executing this macro is the same as selecting How to Use Help from the Help menu.

Syntax	HelpOn()


HelpOnTop

Description	Toggles the on-top state of WinHelp, checking or un-checking the Always on Top menu item as required. Executing this macro is equivalent to selecting Always on Top from the Help menu.

Syntax	HelpOnTop()


History

Description	Displays the WinHelp History window, which shows the titles of the last 40 topics that have been displayed since WinHelp was started. Executing this macro is the same as selecting the History button.

Syntax	History()


IfThen

Description	Executes the specified macro if the condition is true.

Syntax	IfThen(condition, `macro')


IfThenElse

Description	Executes the specified macro1 if the condition is true, and macro2 if the condition is false.

Syntax	IfThenElse(condition, `macro1', `macro2')


InsertItem

Description	Inserts an item in a specified position in a WinHelp menu.

Syntax	InsertItem(`menu-id',`item-id', `item-name',`macro',position)


InsertMenu

Description	Inserts a menu in a specified position on the WinHelp menu bar.

Syntax	InsertMenu(`menu-id',`menu-name',position)


IsMark

Description	Determines whether or not a particular text marker exists. Returns 1 if it does, or 0 if it does not.

Syntax	IsMark(`marker-text')


JumpContents

Description	Executes a jump to the Contents topic of the specified help file. Executing this macro is equivalent to opening a new help file by choosing Open from the File menu.

Syntax	JumpContents(`filename')


JumpContext (JC)

Description	Executes a jump to the topic in the specified help file that corresponds to the specified context number. Context numbers are assigned in the [MAP] section of the help project file.

Syntax	JumpContext(`filename', context-number)


JumpHash

Description	Executes a jump to the topic in the specified help file that corresponds to the specified hash code.

Syntax	JumpHash(`filename', hash-code)


JumpHelpOn

Description	Displays the help file for the WinHelp application. Executing this macro is the same as selecting How to Use Help from the Help menu.

Syntax	JumpHelpOn()


JumpId (JI)

Description	Executes a jump to the topic in the specified help file that has the specified context string.

Syntax	JumpId(`filename', `context-string')


JumpKeyword (JK)

Description	Searches the keyword table of the specified help file and displays the first topic that matches the specified keyword.

Syntax	JumpKeyword(`filename', `keyword')


Next

Description	Displays the next topic in the current browse sequence. Executing this macro is the same as selecting the forward browse button (>>).

Syntax	Next()


Not

Description	Reverses the result (non-zero or zero) returned by a conditional macro such as IsMark.

Syntax	Not(`condition')


PopupContext (PC)

Description	Displays, in a popup window, the topic in the specified help file that corresponds to the specified context number. Context numbers are assigned in the [MAP] section of the help project file.

Syntax	PopupContext(`filename', context-number)


PopupHash

Description	Displays, in a popup window, the topic in the specified help file that corresponds to the specified hash code.

Syntax	PopupHash(`filename', hash-code)


PopupId (PI)

Description	Displays, in a popup window, the topic in the specified help file that has the specified context string.

Syntax	PopupId(`filename', `context-string')


PositionWindow (PW)

Description	Sets the size, position, and display state of either the main help window, or a secondary window.

Syntax	PositionWindow(x, y, width, height, state, `name')


Prev

Description	Displays the previous topic in the current browse sequence. Executing this macro is the same as selecting the backward browse button (<<).

Syntax	Prev()


Print

Description	Prints the currently displayed topic to the printer. Executing this macro is equivalent to selecting Print Topic from the File menu.

Syntax	Print()


PrinterSetup

Description	Displays the Print Setup dialog box. Executing this macro is equivalent to selecting Print Setup from the File menu.

Syntax	PrinterSetup()


RegisterRoutine (RR)

Description	Registers a function within a DLL as a custom help macro. The custom help macro may then be used as are the standard Windows help macros.

Syntax	RegisterRoutine(`DLL-name', `function-name', `format-spec')


RemoveAccelerator (RA)

Description	Removes an accelerator key or key combination that was previously assigned with the AddAccelerator macro.

Syntax	RemoveAccelerator(key, shift-state)


ResetMenu

Description	Returns the WinHelp menu bar and all popup menus to their defaults.

Syntax	ResetMenu()


SaveMark

Description	Saves the location of the currently displayed topic and file, and associates a text marker with that location. Text markers are used by the GoToMark and IsMark macros.

Syntax	SaveMark(`marker-text')


Search

Description	Displays the Search dialog box. Executing this macro is equivalent to selecting the Search button on the WinHelp button bar.

Syntax	Search()


SetContents

Description	Designates a specific topic as the Contents topic in the specified help file.

Syntax	SetContents(filename, context-number)


SetHelpOnFile

Description	Specifies the name of the replacement How to Use Help file

Syntax	SetHelpOnFile(filename)


UncheckItem (UI)

Description	Removes the check-mark that was previously placed beside a help menu item by the CheckItem macro.

Syntax	UncheckItem(`menu-id')