[<<Previous Entry] [^^Up^^] [Next Entry>>] [Menu] [About The Guide]
  Data Text Files
    Data Text Files can contain either a single long entry or a list of
    short and long entries. A single long entry has the simplest format,
    which is many lines of text in free-form style. Free-form text is any
    text that does not begin with a bang (exclamation point) command in
    column 1. Most tables, text, and other descriptive information is
    created as a single long entry. A Data Text File can also contain a
    list of short entries, with (optionally) long entries underneath.

    Format:
         !short: short description                                      
            [text of long entry | !file: filename.eho                   
         [!seealso: references]                                         
                                                                        
         [!short: short description]                                    

    or

         text of long entry                                             

    Where:
         [...] refers to elements that are optional and | means that you
         can choose either option. (See the section on Long Entries for
         more details.)

    Note:
         !short: must begin in column 1 to be recognized as the start
         of the short entry. Data files are ASCII text files and can
         have any name you choose with any file extension other than
         ,EHO, .NGO, .EH and .NG (The extension is optional.) The data
         for each menu item must be in a separate source file. In other
         words, two menu items will require at least two Data Text Files
         (two menu items cannot share a single Data Text File).

    The commands that you may use in a Data Text file are:

    !short:     Begin a short entry.

    !file:      Displays a long entry from another file when you
                expand the current short entry.

    !seealso:   Creates a (Related Topics:) cross reference link to
                another long entry.

    '           A comment line. The ' must be in column 1.

    ''          Two single quotes in column 1 is a '.

    !!          In column 1 is displayed as a single !

    Plus all the character attributes, as described under Character
    Attributes.



 

See Also: An Overview of Database Design. System Requirements. Hypertext Databases (specs) Expert Help Engine Character Attributes Comments !Credits: Data Text Files. Long Entries Related Topics: !Short: The Menu Link Control File. !Name: The Search Engine (EH.EXE) The Database Composer !Menu:
This page created by ng2html v1.05, the Norton guide to HTML conversion utility. Written by Dave Pearson