Select one of the following help topics with <Tab> or <Shift+Tab> then <Enter> or double-click with the mouse.
Help
Help Custom
Files
General
Program
Use Compile
System
Menu Options
File
Menu Window
Edit
Menu Help
Help on Help
What you are looking at right now is the help system. Most of the help screens have some highlighted items (cross references) on them that lead to another help topic. The <Tab> and <Shift+Tab> keys highlight cross references on help screens. The <Enter> key or a mouse double-click jumps to the help screen for the selected cross reference. The cursor keys scroll the screen to view long help topics. The [Index] button jumps to the help index where help topics are arranged for quick selection. The [Previous] button jumps to the last help topic displayed. This backward link is maintained throughout the help session. The [Print <F9>] key prints the current help topic.
General Program Use
The program consists of three main components: (1) The top line of the screen is the Menu
Bar where most program commands are selected, (2) The large center area of the screen is the Desktop where all Program
Windows are opened, and (3) The last line of the screen displays the Status
Line.
Menu Bar
The Menu Bar is your primary access to all the program commands. One of the items on the menu bar will be highlighted when the menu bar is active. The highlighed item is the "selected" item.
If a command is followed by an arrow, the command leads to another menu, (a pop-up menu). A command without an arrow indicates that the command will be immediately executed when selected. -
To choose menu commands using the keyboard:
1. Press <F10> to make the menu bar active.
2. Use the arrow keys to select the menu you want to
display, then press <Enter>
3. Use the arrow keys again to select the
desired command from the pop-up menu.
You can also use a number of shortcuts (or hot keys) to access the menu bar and choose commands. You can activate a menu bar item by pressing <Alt> and the highlighted letter of the item. Once the pop-up has appeared, you can press the item's highlighted letter or the shortcut next to it. *
To choose menu commands using the mouse: {
1. Click the desired menu item to display the pop-up
menu.
2. Click the desired command from the pop-up menu.
You can also drag straight from the menu title down to the menu command. Release the mouse button on the desired command. If you change your mind, just drag off the menu and no command will be chosen. (Drag means to hold the left mouse button while moving the mouse).
Some menu commands will be disabled when it makes no sense to choose them. These items (shown in dim characters) can still be highlighted to get help.
See also: General
Program
Desktop
The Desktop is where user interaction with the program takes place. Various Program
Windows will be opened in this area. Consider the Desktop to be your workspace.
See also: General
Program
Program Windows
Most of what you see and do in this program occurs in a window. A window is a screen area that you can move, resize, zoom, tile, overlap, open, and close.
Multiple windows can be open at the same time, memory permitting, but only one window can be "active" at any time. The active window is the one you are currently working in. Any command you choose or keystroke you press generally applies only to the active window. The active window has a double-line border around and it is the frontmost (top) window on the desktop if windows overlap.
When multiple windows are open on the desktop, you can activate a window by clicking anywhere within the window. If the window is numbered (like the Text Editor windows, you can select the desired window by pressing <Alt+#> where # is the window number. You can also choose Window
List or press <Alt+0> to select a window from a list. You can move in succession from window to window by selecting Window
Next or by pressing <Alt+F6>.
Some windows are temporary (like message boxes, dialog boxes that request user input, or this help system window). These windows must be closed before other windows on the desktop can be accessed. If the mouse seems to be unable to select the program Menu Bar or if other windows on the desktop cannot be selected, then the active window is probably a temporary window. Temporary windows usually have Push
Buttons on them. k
There are several types of windows in this program, but most of them have the following things in common: Y
o A
title
o A
close
o A
resize
corner
o A
o Scroll
Other items that might appear in a window include: }
o Input
Fields
o Memo
Fields
o Push
Buttons
o List
Boxes
o Radio
Buttons
o Check
Boxes
o History
Lists
See also: General
Program
Window Title Bar
The title bar is the top frame line of the window. The title bar contains the name of the window. You can drag the title bar with the mouse to move the window around on the desktop. You can also choose Window
Size/Move or press <Alt+F4> to move a window.
See also: Program
Windows
Window Close Box
The close box is the small square in the upper left corner of the window's frame. You can click on this box with the mouse to close the window (or choose Window
Close or press <Esc>).
See also: Program
Windows
Window Resize Corner
The resize corner appears in the lower right corner of the window as a single-line border. Resize corners only appear on some of the program windows. You drag the resize corner to make the window larger or smaller (or choose Window
Size/Move or press <Alt+F4>).
See also: Program
Windows
Window Zoom Box
The zoom box (text editor windows only) appears in the upper right corner of the window's frame. If the zoom icon is an up arrow, you can click the arrow to enlarge the window to the largest possible size. If the zoom icon is a double-headed arrow, the window is already at the largest possible size. In that case, clicking the zoom icon returns the window to its previous size. You may also choose Window
Zoom or press <Alt+F5> to zoom a window.
See also: Program
Windows
Scroll Bars
Scroll bars are horizontal or vertical bars that are used by a mouse to move around in a window. Each end of the scroll bar has an arrow. Click on the arrow to scroll the associated view one line. Keep the mouse button pressed to scroll continuously. If the associated view spans more than one screenful, there will be a small box on the scrollbar indicating the current position in the list. Click on either side of this position box to page the associated view. Finally, you may drag the position box to quickly move to a relative position in the associated view.
See also: Program
Windows
Field Editing
Fields are areas on the screen where the program is asking for input. The following commands are used to edit data within a field. Note that some of these commands do not work with formatted fields such as dates and times. If the edited screen is part of a database, the commands marked with a '*' are also available. C
Character left <Left arrow>
Character right <Right arrow>
Beginning of line <Home>
End of line <End>
Insert mode on/off <Ins>
Delete character left <BackSpace>
Delete character at cursor <Del>
Blank field <Ctrl+Y> or <F8>
Auto Fill (Lookup) <F3>
Next Field <Enter> or <Tab>
Previous Field <Shift+Tab>
*Save/Done with edit <F2>
*Previous Record <F5>
*Next Record <F6>
If more than one type of input area appears in the window, press <Tab> or <Enter> to move to the next area. Press <Shift+Tab> to move to the previous area.
See also: Program
Windows
Memo Editing
A memo field is a mini text editor window. The following commands are used to edit text in memo fields: !
Cursor Movement
---------------------------------------
Character left <Left arrow>
Character right <Right arrow>
Word left <Ctrl+left arrow>
Word right <Ctrl+right arrow>
Line up <Up arrow>
Line down <Down arrow>
Page up <PgUp>
Page down <PgDn>
Beginning of line <Home>
End of line <End>
Top of window <Ctrl+Home>
Bottom of window <Ctrl+End>
Beginning of text <Ctrl+PgUp>
End of text <Ctrl+PgDn>
General Editing
-----------------------------------------
Insert mode on/off <Ins>
Delete character left <BackSpace>
Delete character at cursor <Del>
Delete word right <Ctrl+T>
Delete line <Ctrl+Y>
New line <Enter>
Block Commands
--------------
A block of text is any amount of text, from a single character to an entire file, that is marked with special hidden block markers. There can be only one marked block of text in the text editor at a time. A block is marked by placing the cursor at the desired starting location and then using any of the standard cursor movement commands in combination with the <Shift> key to mark the block (text will become highlighted as it is marked).
The mouse may also be used to mark text by placing the mouse cursor at the desired starting location and holding the left button down while dragging the mouse over the text to mark. The mouse may be moved beyond the edge of the Text Editor window to scroll the screen while marking. X
After the text is marked, any of the following commands may be performed on the block:
Copy to clipboard & delete <Shift+Del>
Copy to clipboard <Ctrl+Ins>
Paste from clipboard <Shift+Ins>
Delete block <Ctrl+Del>
If more than one type of input area appears in the window, press <Tab> or <Enter> to move to the next area. Press <Shift+Tab> to move to the previous area.
See also: Program
Windows
Push Buttons
Push Buttons are rectangular shaded areas in windows that have the appearance of a button. Push Buttons generally appear in temporary windows where access to the program menu bar is not allowed. Push on a button with the mouse or press the highlighted letter (if there is one) to perform the indicated action. A common button is the [OK] button, which is equivalent to the <Enter> key. Another common button is the [Cancel] button which is equivalent to the <Esc> key.
See also: Program
Windows
List Boxes
List Boxes let you scroll through and select a variety of types of items from lists throughout the program. Lists generally have scroll bars. All the usual arrow keys and mouse functions are used to examine lists. The <Enter> key or mouse double-click selects an item from a list.
If more than one type of input area appears in the window, press <Tab> or <Enter> to move to the next area. Press <Shift+Tab> to move to the previous area.
See also: Program
Windows
Radio Buttons
Radio buttons are special lists that present choices that are mutually excluse, i.e., only one item can be selected at a time. One item in the Radio Button list will be marked with a (o) mark. To choose a radio button click on it or its text. From the keyboard, select the highlighted letter (if there is one) or use the arrow keys to choose an item.
If more than one type of input area appears in the window, press <Tab> or <Enter> to move to the next area. Press <Shift+Tab> to move to the previous area.
See also: Program
Windows
Check Boxes
Check Boxes are special lists that present multiple options. Any number of items in a Check Box can be selected (marked with a [X]). To check a box, click on it or its text. From the keyboard, press the the highlighted letter (if there is one) or use the arrow keys to choose an item and press <Space> to toggle the check mark.
If more than one type of input area appears in the window, press <Tab> or <Enter> to move to the next area. Press <Shift+Tab> to move to the previous area.
See also: Program
Windows
History Lists
History Lists record previous entries in an input field (areas in which you enter text). An input field has a history list if there is a down-arrow symbol just to the right of the field. Press down-arrow or click on the history icon to activate a history list. Highlight the desired item and press <Enter> or double-click the mouse to select an item from the list and place it into the input field. The history list will display any text you typed in the input field the last few times you used the input field.
See also: Program
Windows
Field
Editing
Status Line
The Status Line appears at the bottom line of the screen. The Status Line provides many useful functions:
o It reminds you of the <F1> Help and <F10> Menu
hotkeys.
o It lets you click on these hotkeys instead of using
the keyboard.
o It tells you what the program is doing.
o It offers one-line hints on the selected menu item
or active window.
See also: General
Program
(System) Menu
(Alt+Spacebar)
The System menu appears on the far left of the menu bar and is represented by the
symbol. =
The following commands are available under the System menu: 1
About/Order - View copyright or print order
About/Order
(Alt+A)
The About/Order command displays copyright and program version information. An order form may be printed from the About dialog.
About/Order
The About window displays a detailed copyright notice for the program. Select the [Print] button to print an order form. Unregistered copies of the program will automatically display the About window for 3 seconds every 10th execution of the program.
Window
(Alt+W)
The Window menu provides access to commands used to manipulate program
windows. The following commands are available: @
Note: some of these commands may be disabled for some windows. /
Close - Close the window
Size/Move - Resize/move the window
Zoom - Zoom window to full size
Next - Make next window active
Cascade - Arrange windows cascaded
Tile - Arrange windows tiled
Erase
All - Close all windows
List - List active windows
Window
Close
(Esc)
The Close command closes the currently active window. The <Esc> key serves the same purpose, as does a mouse click on the close icon of the active window.
See also: Window
Menu
Program
Windows
Window
Size/Move
(Alt+F4)
The Size/Move command changes the size or position of the active window.
The arrow keys move the window to a new location, and <Enter> accepts the new position. The mouse can be used to drag the top line of the window to a new position. All program windows can be moved.
<Shift + arrow keys> resize the window and <Enter> accepts the new size. The mouse can be used to drag the lower right corner of the window to the desired size. Only windows that have a single line lower right corner (like the text editor) can be resized.
See also: Window
Menu
Program
Windows
Window
Zoom
(Alt+F5)
Zoom resizes the active window to the maximum size. If the window is already zoomed, selecting Zoom will restore the window to the original size. Double-clicking the mouse anywhere in the title line or the Zoom icon (arrow in upper right corner) will also zoom/unzoom the window. Only a few of the program windows are zoomable (like the text editor).
See also: Window
Menu
Program
Windows
Window
Next
(Alt+F6)
Next makes the next window active which makes it the topmost open window. Use Next to cycle through windows if more than one window is open on the desktop.
See also: Window
Menu
Program
Windows
Window
Cascade
(Alt+F7)
Cascade stacks all open windows.
See also: Window
Menu
Program
Windows
Window
Tile
(Alt+F8)
Tile attempts to arrange all open windows to be visible on the screen. Due to size limitations on many types windows, the tile command may overlap windows.
See also: Window
Menu
Program
Windows
Window
Erase All
(Alt+F9)
Erase All removes all open windows from the desktop. Some windows may request save confirmation before closing.
See also: Window
Menu
Program
Windows
Window
List
(Alt+0)
The List command opens a window which lists all of the open windows on the desktop. From this window, select or delete any of the windows.
See also: Window
List 2
Window
Program
Windows
Window
List
(Alt+0)
The List command opens a window which lists all of the open windows on the desktop. From this window, select or delete any of the windows. The titles of all open windows are shown in a scrollable list. Position the highlight bar on the desired window, then press <Enter> or double-click with the mouse to make that window active. Select the [Delete] button to remove the window from the desktop.
See also: Window
Menu
Program
Windows
Clock
The clock displays the current date and time.
File
Exit
(Alt+X)
Exit leaves the program and returns to DOS. If any modified windows are open, the program prompts for save confirmation.
Edit
(Alt+E)
The Edit menu item is a dynamic menu. The contents of the Edit menu will change depending on the currently active window. The following Edit menus are available for different windows: &
Edit-Text - text editor commands
File
(Alt+F)
The File Menu contains commands to work with text files and the help system:
Open
Source - Open a text editor window
Save
Source - Save editor text
Save/Done - Save editor text & close
Save
As - Save editor text with new name
Exit - leave the program
Custom Help Files
Custom help topics include: G
Creating
Custom
Help
Format
Memory
Resident
Operation
Creating Custom Help
PHD's main purpose is to create custom help files for a variety of uses. The help files can include cross-references to other topics to allow rapid location of specific help topics.
The procedure is as follows:
1. Use the text editor to create a help source file
with special formatting commands (see
Help
Format).These files are called
PHD Source Files and have a .PHS file extension.
2. Use the Compile
File command to set your
main file name for compiling.
3. Use the Compile
Compile
Help command to create a
finished help file. These files will have a .PHD
file extension and can be viewed by using the
Help
Custom
Help command.
4. Ph.D. may be loaded as a memory-resident
program to allow viewing of custom help files
while running other programs. See
Memory
Resident
Operation for details.
See also: Text
Editor
Custom
Files
Help Text Format
Ph.D. takes a help text source file and produces a help file (.PHD) that can be viewed using Ph.D. as a stand-alone program or in memory resident mode. The format for the help file is very simple. Each topic is given a symbolic name (e.g. FileOpen). Text following the topic line is put into the help file. .
If a line of text is flush left with no preceeding white space, the line will be wrapped to fit the help window size. All adjacent wrappable lines are wrapped as a paragraph. If a line begins with a space it will not be wrapped. For example, the following is a help topic for a File|Open menu item.
.topic FileOpen
File|Open
---------
This menu item will bring up a dialog...
The "File|Open" will not be wrapped with the "----" line since they both begin with a space, but the "This menu..." line will be wrapped. $
The syntax for a ".topic" line is: 4
.topic symbol[=number][, symbol[=number][...]]
Note a topic can have multiple symbols that define it so that one topic can be used by multiple contexts. The number is optional and will be the value of the hcXXX in the optional symbol file. Once a number is assigned all following topic symbols will be assigned numbers in sequence. For example: ,
.topic FileOpen=3, OpenFile, FFileOpen
will produce the following help context number definitions: @
hcFileOpen = 3;
hcOpenFile = 4;
hcFFileOpen = 5;
A line that begins (flush left) with a "." must always be followed by a valid command (TOPIC, INCLUDE). If the first non-space character in a line is "." then you MUST use two .'s in a row or the help compiler will expect a valid command. The compiler will automatically remove the extra "." character.
Cross references can be imbedded in the text of a help topic which allows the user to quickly access related topics. The format for a cross reference is as follows:
{text[:alias]}
The text enclosed within the {}'s is highlighted by the help viewer. This text can be selected by the user and will take the user to the topic by the name of the text. To include the { character as part of regular text, use two {'s in a row. Sometimes the text will not be the same as a topic symbol. In this case you can use the optional alias syntax. The symbol you wish to use is placed after the text after a ':'. The following is a paragraph of text using cross references:
The {File Open Dialog:FileOpen} allows you
specify which file you wish to view. It also
allows you to navigate directories. To change
to a given directory use the
{Change Directory Dialog:ChDir} command.
The user can tab or use the mouse to select more information about the "File Open Dialog" or the "Change Directory Dialog". The help compiler handles forward references so a topic need not be defined before it is referenced. If a topic is referenced but not defined, the compiler will give a warning but will still create a useable help file. If the undefined reference is used, a message ("No help available...") will appear in the help window.
Several text files can be combined into one help file by using the ".INCLUDE filename" command. For example, to include the text from a file named "PART2.PHS" into the current help file, use the following command in the main help source file:
.INCLUDE PART2.TXT
Note that you may only use the ".INCLUDE" command in the main help file.
See also: Custom
Files
Text
Editor
Memory Resident Operation
Ph.D. may be run in memory-resident mode to allow viewing of custom help files while running other programs. Special memory swapping technology is used to allow Ph.D. to only require 8K of memory of conventional memory. o
To run Ph.D. in memory-resident mode, add the Ph.D. directory to the PATH statement and the command POPPHD to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file (this was an option during installation. If you want Ph.D. to automatically load a custom help file when invoked, add the /Lname parameter to the POPPHD command. For example, to automatically load MYHELP.PHD, the command would be:
POPPHD /LMYHELP
The Ph.D. program can then be invoked at any time by pressing <Alt+Esc>. Refer to the program documentation for instructions on changing the hotkey and other POPPHD command line options.
NOTE: PHD can not pop up over graphics programs. You will hear a beep if you try to invoke PHD while a graphics program is running.
Text Editor
Topics available for the Text Editor include:
General
Description
Cursor
Movement
General
Editing
Block
Commands
Search
Commands
Miscellaneous
Commands
File
Commands
See also: Program
Windows
Edit-Text
The text editor is used to edit files up to 64K in size. The text editor supports all standard editing commands as well as search and replace capabilities. The text editor is normally used to create custom help files but may be used to any text files.
See also: Text
Editor
General Description
The Text Editor window is used to edit text files of up to 64K in size. The top line of the window displays the file currently in editor memory. The lower left corner of the edit window displays the row and column location of the cursor and a star "*" to indicate that the file has been modified.
Scroll bars are shown on the right and bottom edges of the text editor window to indicate the position in the file and to facilitate mouse use.
See also: Text
Editor
Cursor Movement
The following commands are used to move the cursor in the Text Editor window:
Character left <Left arrow>
Character right <Right arrow>
Word left <Ctrl+left arrow>
Word right <Ctrl+right arrow>
Line up <Up arrow>
Line down <Down arrow>
Page up <PgUp>
Page down <PgDn>
Beginning of line <Home>
End of line <End>
Top of window <Ctrl+Home>
Bottom of window <Ctrl+End>
Beginning of file <Ctrl+PgUp>
End of file <Ctrl+PgDn>
See also: Text
Editor
General Editing Commands
The following commands are used for general editing in the Text Editor window:
Insert mode on/off <Ins>
Delete character left of cursor <BackSpace>
Delete character under cursor <Del>
Delete word right <Ctrl+T>
Delete line <Ctrl+Y>
New line <Enter>
See also: Text
Editor
Block Commands
A block of text is any amount of text, from a single character to an entire file, that is marked with special hidden block markers. There can be only one marked block of text in the text editor at a time. A block is marked by placing the cursor at the desired starting location and then using any of the standard cursor movement commands in combination with the <Shift> key to mark the block (text will become highlighted as it is marked).
The mouse may also be used to mark text by placing the mouse cursor at the desired starting location and holding the left button down while dragging the mouse over the text to mark. The mouse may be moved beyond the edge of the Text Editor window to scroll the screen while marking. X
After the text is marked, any of the following commands may be performed on the block:
Cut
(Shift+Del) - Copy to clipboard & delete
Copy
(Ctrl+Ins) - Copy to clipboard
Paste
(Shift+Ins) - Paste from clipboard
Delete
(Ctrl+Del) - Delete block
Export
(Ctrl+X) - Write block to file
Print
Block
(Ctrl+P) - Print block
See also: Text
Editor
Search Commands
Search commands are used to find and optionally replace text in the Text Editor window. The following search commands are available: |
Find
Text - Find selected text
Replace - Find and replace selected text
Last
Find - Repeat last find/replace
See also: Text
Editor
Edit-Text
(Shift+Del)
Deletes the marked block of text from the editor and places it on the clipboard.
See also: Text
Editor
Block
Commands
Edit-Text
Copy
(Ctrl+Ins)
Copies the marked block of text to the clipboard without deleting it from the editor.
See also: Text
Editor
Block
Commands
Edit-Text
Paste
(Shift+Ins)
Copies the contents of the clipboard to the current cursor position.
See also: Text
Editor
Block
Commands
Edit-Text
Delete
(Ctrl+Del)
Deletes the marked block of text without copying it to the clipboard.
See also: Text
Editor
Block
Commands
Edit-Text
Print Block
(Ctrl+P)
Prints the marked block of text.
See also: Text
Editor
Block
Commands
Edit-Text
Export
(Ctrl+X)
Exports (writes) the marked block of text to a file. The program will prompt for a file name to export. If the selected file already exists, the program will prompt for replace confirmation.
See also: Text
Editor
Block
Commands
Edit-Text
Find Text
(Ctrl+F)
Finds user-specified text in the current file. The program will prompt for the text to find. A history list is provided to select previous search strings. Search options include Case Sensitive and Whole Words Only.
See also: Text
Editor d
Search
Commands
History
Lists
Field
Editing
Check
Boxes
Edit-Text
Replace
(Ctrl+R)
Finds user-specified text in the current file and replaces it with the desired replacement text. The program will prompt for the text to find and the replacement text. A history list is provided to select previous search and replacement strings. Search options include Case Sensitive, Whole Words Only, Prompt On Replace, and Replace All.
See also: Text
Editor d
Search
Commands
History
Lists
Field
Editing
Check
Boxes
Edit-Text
Last Find
(Ctrl+L)
Repeat the last Find command.
See also: Text
Editor
Search
Commands
Miscellaneous Commands
There are several miscellaneous text editor commands that do not fit into any other category. Included in these commands are: ]
Import
(Ctrl+I) - Read text from file
Print
(Ctrl+A) - Print entire file
See also: Text
Editor
Edit-Text
Import
(Ctrl+I)
Imports (reads) text from a file to the current cursor position. The program will prompt for the name of the file to import. There must be sufficient memory in the editor to import the file (current text + new text must be less than 64K).
See also: Text
Editor "
Miscellaneous
Commands
Edit-Text
Print All
(Ctrl+A)
Prints the entire file.
See also: Text
Editor "
Miscellaneous
Commands
File Commands
File commands are used to open and save text files. The following file commands are available:
Open
Source - Open a text editor window
Save
Source - Save editor text
Save/Done - Save editor text & close
Save
As - Save editor text with new name
See also: Text
Editor
File
Open PHD Source
(F3)
Opens a new text editor window.
See also: Text
Editor .
File
Commands
File
File
Save PHD Source
(F2)
Saves changes made to the current file. If the file does not have a name, the program will prompt for a new name for the file. If the Editor Backups option is set in Options
Environment then a file with a .BAK extension will be created to store the previous contents of the file.
See also: Text
Editor .
File
Commands
File
File
Save/Done
(Ctrl+F2)
Saves changes made to the current file and closes the text editor window. If the file does not have a name, the program will prompt for a new name for the file. If the Editor Backups option is set in Options
Environment then a file with a .BAK extension will be created to store the previous contents of the file.
See also: Text
Editor .
File
Commands
File
File
Save As
(F4)
Save the current file with a new name. If the selected new name exists, the program will prompt for replace confirmation before saving the file. After the Save As command is used, the default name for the file will be the new name. If the Editor Backups option is set in Options
Environment then a file with a .BAK extension will be created to store the previous contents of the file.
See also: Text
Editor .
File
Commands
File
Compile
(Alt+C)
The Compile menu provides access the help file compiler. O
Compile
Help - Compile help file
Main
File - Set main compile file
Compile
Compile Help
(F9)
Make a help file out of the main help source file named in Compile
File.
See also: Text
Editor
Custom
Compile
Main File
Specify the main source file to start with when compiling help.
See also: Compile
Help
Custom
Options
(Alt+O)
The Options menu provides access to program features that do not fit in other categories. Options include: T
Color
Selection - Set program colors
Environment - Set program options
Options
Color Selection
The color selection window has four areas of interest:
Group - List of different program regions
Item - Views within group regions
Foreground - Foreground color setting
Background - Background color setting
Use the <Tab> key to move to each area in the Color Selection window. To change program colors, select the Group of interest, then select the Item within the group, and finally set the Foreground and Background colors for the Item. As colors are changed, the program immediately shows the new colors and the Sample Text shows the color settings. Black on Black is not allowed and will result in a flashing white on red color.
Predefined color palettes can be selected with the Predefined command. Customized color palettes are loaded from disk with the Load command and saved with the Save
As command. The top frame line of the color selection window shows the file name of the current custom palette, if any.
See also: Options
Color Group List
The Group list contains the names of the different regions of the program that can be customized. Each of these groups contains different Items that can be individually customized. The following groups are available:
Desktop - Center portion of the screen
Program Menus - Pull-down menus and status line
Text Editor - Text editor colors
Dialogs - All other program windows
See also: Color
Selection
Color Item List
The Item list contains the names of the different views for each program Group. A Foreground and Background color may be selected for each item.
See also: Color
Selection e
Following is a detailed list of the color Groups and Items and the program views that are affected:
Note: Labels are the text used to identify areas in
dialogs, e.g., the Group and Item text on the
Color Selection window.
Label inactive - Label when not selected
Label selected - Label when selected
Label shortcut - Hotkey for label
Note: Buttons are the square items like [OK] and
[Cancel] that appear in various places in the
program.
Button inactive - Normal colors for the button
Button default - Button if it would be selected
when <Enter> is pressed. See
the Window
List dialog's
[OK] button for an example.
Button selected - Button if selected.
Button disabled - Button if not selectable.
Button shortcut - Hotkey for button. See the
buttons on the Color Selection
window for examples.
Button shadow - Shading under button
Note: Clusters are the selection lists like the
Settings in Options
Environment and the
Predefined Color Palette list.
Cluster normal - Item normally (not selected)
Cluster selected - Item if selected
Cluster shortcut - Hotkey for item
Note: Input lines are used whenever user input is
requested by the program.
Input normal - Normal color
Input selected - Color of text if selected
Input arrow - Arrow for text longer than
displayed width
Note: History
Lists are used in many
of the search input windows.
History icon - Arrow for history activation
History icon side - Sides of activation arrow
History bar page - History's scroll bar
History bar icons - History's scroll bar icons
Note: Lists are used in the Group and Item areas of
the Color Selection window and in file
selection dialogs.
List normal - Normal color of item
List focused - Item when cursor is on it
List selected - Item when cursor is on it
but the view is not the
focused view.
List divider - Divider line between columns of
a list.
Foreground Color
Foreground color is used in combination with Background
Color to set the color for the selected Item. The cursor keys or the mouse is used to select the desired color.
See also: Color
Selection
Background Color
Background color is used in combination with Foreground
Color to set the color for the selected Item. The cursor keys or the mouse is used to select the desired color.
See also: Color
Selection
Load Palette
Load Palette loads a customized color palette from disk that was previously saved with the Save
As command. The program prompts for the name of the custom palette to load. All custom palettes end with the ".PAL" file extension. When the custom palette is loaded, the color changes are shown immediately. The name of the custom palette in use is shown on the top frame line of the Color Selection window.
See also: Color
Selection
Save Palette
Save Palette saves a customized color palette to disk. The program prompts for the name of the custom palette to save. All custom palettes end with the ".PAL" file extension. If the selected file already exists, the program will prompt for replace confirmation. When the custom palette is saved, the name of the custom palette is shown on the top frame line of the Color Selection window. Customized palettes may later be loaded from disk using the Load command.
See also: Color
Selection
Predefined Palettes
Predefined palettes are built into the program. The program displays a list of the predefined color palettes for selection. After a palette is selected, changes are shown immediately. A predefined palette may be customized and then saved using the Save
As command.
See also: Color
Selection
Options
Environment
Environment options determine the behavior of the program. Move from area to area on the environment screen with the <Enter> or <Tab> keys. The following options are available:
Settings - General program options
Printer - Printer port
Compiler
Options - Help compiler options
See also: Options
Environment
Settings
Settings determine many characteristics of the program. To change a setting, move the cursor to the desired setting and press <Space> or click with the mouse. The following settings are available:
Prompt
Quit - Ask before quitting program
Attention
Bell - Ring bell on errors
Hourly
Chime - Ring bell on the hour
Clock - Display time in 24 hour format
Editor
Backups - Make .BAK files in Text Editor
Save
Desktop - Save the desktop on exit
Use
Memory - Use EMS memory if available
43/50
Mode - Use 43/50 line mode on EGA/VGA
See also: Environment
Check
Boxes
Prompt on Quit
Program will prompt for quit confirmation before quitting. !
See also: Environment
Settings
Attention Bell
Program rings bell whenever errors occur and the user's attention is desired. This feature can become annoying and may be disabled with this setting. !
See also: Environment
Settings
Hourly Chime
Program rings the bell twice on the hour. This feature can become annoying and may be disabled with this setting. !
See also: Environment
Settings 6
Clock - Display time in 24 hour format
24 Hour Clock
This setting determines whether the time displayed in the upper right corner of the screen will be shown in a 12 hour or 24 hour format.
Editor Backups
This setting determines whether a backup file will be made of the Text
Editor data when the current text editor file is saved. If set, a file with a .BAK extension will be created and the previous contents of the text editor will be copied to this file before the new text is saved. !
See also: Environment
Settings
Save Desktop
This setting determines whether the desktop (all open windows) will be saved when the user exits the program. If the desktop is saved, the same windows will be opened the next time the program is run. Note that if the automatic load option for custom help files is used, the desired help file will not be loaded if another custom help file was saved with the desktop. !
See also: Environment
Settings
Use EMS Memory
Use EMS memory if available for program overlays. If EMS memory is not available, this setting is ignored. !
See also: Environment
Settings
43/50 Line Mode
Computers with EGA or VGA monitors are capable of displaying 43 or 50 lines of text rather than the standard 25 lines. With this option set, more space is available on the desktop to display windows. Setting this option on computers without EGA or VGA monitors has no effect.
If you switch from 43/50 line mode to 25 line mode and can't find some windows, they may be off the screen. Change back to 43/50 line mode and move the windows back into view. !
See also: Environment
Settings
Printer
This setting determines where printed output from the program will be directed.
See also: Environment
Environment
Compiler Options
Compiler options determine many characteristics of the help compiler. To change a setting, move the cursor to the desired setting and press <Space> or click with the mouse. The following options are available: k
Write
Symbol
File - Write references to a file
Use
Prefix
Codes - Use "hc" prefix in symbol file
See also: Environment
Check
Boxes
Write Symbol File
This setting determines whether the cross references found in the help text will be written to a file with a .SYM extension. The resultant file is useful as a printed index or for on-line help systems in other programs. All cross references are written in alphabetical order.
See also: Environment
Use
Prefix
Codes
Use Prefix Codes
If this option is enabled and the Write
Symbol
File option is also enabled, the symbols written to the symbol file will be prefixed with "hc". This prefix is used by some programs to indicate help context numbers for on-line help systems.
See also: Environment
Help
(Alt+H)
The Help menu provides access to the help file compiler. ]
Ph.D.
File - View Ph.D. program help
Load
Custom
Help - Set main compile file
Help
Ph.D. Help File
(F1)
View the Ph.D. program's help system. Selecting this command is the same as selecting the help command shown in the lower left corner of the screen.
Help
Load Custom Help
(Alt+F1)
This command loads a custom help file created with Ph.D. for viewing. Only one custom help file may be viewed at one time.
(.txt)