PC Online 1998 September/PCO_0998.ISO/filesbbs/os2/vhelp100.arj/VHELP100.ZIP/vyper.HLP

OS/2 Help File | 1998-07-16 | 33.9 KB | 889 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Overview ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ


VyperHelp: OS/2 IPF help outliner, editor and converter


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.1. Disclaimer ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this software at your own risk!

It is a pre-release, and has not been fully tested.  While we have made every
attempt to ensure that the software is free from bugs, MekTek is not
responsible for any loss of data due to use of this program.  Read the complete
license for details.

Please save and backup your work often.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.2. Introduction ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

VyperHelp is a visual outliner and editor for creating online help for
OS/2-based systems.  It generates IPF files, which can be compiled into
OS/2-based HLP and INF files.  VyperHelp has the following features:

  WYSIWYG text editing with codes revealed
  Powerful outline tree controls
  Keyword/index support
  Full symbol support
  IPF export
  WinHelp (HPJ) import
  ASCII text import and export
  Command-line conversion program

See Usage Notes for tips, limitations, and a list of known bugs.  Help can be
viewed from the command line (in Warp 4) with:

 view vyper.hlp


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.3. Conversion Program (VYX) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

VyperHelp includes a conversion program (vyx.exe), which can be run from the
command line to convert formats in a batch mode.  The syntax for the program is
as follows:

 VYX infile outfile

where infile is the input file, and outfile is the output file.  The file type
is determined by the filename extension.  Supported input file types are: TXT,
HPJ, and VYD.  Supported output file types are: TXT, IPF, VYD, and VYT.  VYD is
a VyperHelp document.  VYT is VyperHelp diagnostic trace output.  outfile may
also include '=' to specify the same root filename as the input file (for
example, "=.ipf").

When the output is an IPF file, BMP files will automatically be generated as
necessary to support inline art.  They will be named IPFnnnn.BMP, where nnnn is
a number starting at 1000.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.4. Requirements ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

VyperHelp has the following requirements:

  OS/2 Warp version 3 or greater
  Pentium or faster
  4M hard drive space
  32M memory recommended
  IPF compiler (to create HLP or INF files)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.5. Terms ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This pre-release of VyperHelp is provided for free use and distribution until
10/31/98.  It will not work after that date.  Please read the complete license
for details.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.6. Installation ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

There is currently no installation program.  To install, simply unzip the
contents into an empty directory; we recommend c:\vyper (we use that directory
name in the remainder of this section).  Then run VyperHelp (vyper.exe) or the
conversion program (vyx.exe) from this directory.

You may want to set up a program object for VyperHelp.  Set the program path to
c:\vyper\vyper.exe, and set the working directory to the c:\vyper.  Set the
program name to VyperHelp.  You may also want to set up a program association
so that VyperHelp is automatically run when a *.VYD file is double-clicked.

If you want to run VyperHelp from a directory other than the directory where it
was installed, you need to make the following changes to your CONFIG.SYS:

 1. Add c:\vyper to your LIBPATH.
 2. Add a line with "SET TABPATH=c:\vyper".  This gives the location of the
parsing tables (*.llr and *.dfa).


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.7. Support ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Support for this pre-release is handled only by email and fax.  We would like
to hear from you with any questions, comments, suggestions or bug reports for
VyperHelp.

Please contact MekTek by one of the following means:

  Email: [e-mail]
  Fax: [phone]

Thank you for trying VyperHelp!


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Actions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1. Menus ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1. File Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The File menu contains actions used for manipulating VyperHelp files (VYD) and
other file formats.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.1. Create New File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

File - New clears the current file from memory and resets all file properties.
Use File - Save as to give the file a name.  Use File - Properties to give the
document a title.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.2. Open File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use File - Open to load an existing VyperHelp (VYD) document into memory.  The
current document will be released from memory first.  A standard file dialog
will appear, allowing you to select the file.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.3. Save File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use File - Save to save the currently loaded file to disk.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.4. Save File As ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use File - Save as to save the currently loaded file to disk under a new name.
A standard file dialog will appear, allowing you to choose the new name.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.5. Close File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use File - Close to release the current document from memory.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.6. Import Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.6.1. Import Text ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use File - Import - Text to import a basic ASCII text file.  See limitations
and notes about performance.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.6.2. Import WinHelp ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use File - Import - WinHelp to load a WinHelp project (HPJ).  VyperHelp will
import settings from the HPJ file, and text from the referenced RTF file(s).
See limitations for more information.  Note: the conversion program does a more
complete conversion (including bitmap graphics, simple tables and some
paragraph styles), but the editor does not support all of the same features.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.7. Export Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.7.1. Export Text ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use File - Export - Text to export the current document as a basic ASCII text
file.  See limitations.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.7.2. Export IPF ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use File - Export - IPF to save the current document as an IPF file.  See
limitations for more information.  Note: the conversion program does a more
complete conversion (including bitmap graphics, simple tables and some
paragraph styles), but the editor does not support all of the same features.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.7.3. Export Diagnostic ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use File - Export - Diagnostic to create a diagnostic trace file of the current
document.  These files may be useful in determining the source of problems.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.8. Expand File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use File - Expand to expand the entire section tree.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.9. Collapse File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use File - Collapse to collapse the entire section tree.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1.10. File Properties ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use File - Properties to bring up the File Properties window, which lets you
change document title and other information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2. Section Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.1. New Section ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Section - New inserts a new section in front of the selected section.  The new
section is untitled and empty.  Use Section - Properties to set the section
title, keywords and labels.  Use Section - Open to open the section for
editing.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.2. Open Section ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Section - Open to open the section for editing.  The section contents are
loaded into the text editor and the cursor is moved to the top.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.3. Close Section ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Section - Close unloads the section from the text editor and closes the editor
pane.  Note: changes are saved as you edit, but the file will not be updated
until you use File - Save.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.4. Copy Section ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Section - Copy copies the section contents and properties to the clipboard.
You can then use Section - New and then Section - Paste to duplicate the
section.  Or you can use Edit - Paste while the editor is open to paste just
the text contents.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.5. Paste Section ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Section - Paste will overwrite the section contents and properties with the
contents of the clipboard.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.6. Delete Section ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Section - Delete will delete the selected section and all sub-sections!.  If
you do not want to delete sub-sections, use Section - Promote or Section -
Up/Down so they are no longer sub-sections.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.7. Promote Section ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Section - Promote to move the section to the next highest outline level.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.8. Demote Section ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Section - Demote to move the section to the next lowest outline level.  It
becomes a sub-section of the section above it.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.9. Move Section Up ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Section - Up to move the section up one position.  The section will remain
at the same outline level.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.10. Move Section Down ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Section - Down to move the section down one position.  The section will
remain at the same outline level.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.11. Expand Section ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Section - Expand to expand the branch at the selected section.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.12. Collapse Section ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Section - Collapse to collapse the branch at the selected section.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.13. Section Properties ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Section - Properties to bring up the Section Properties window, which lets
you change section title, and lets you add and delete keywords and labels.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.3. Edit Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.3.1. Cut ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Edit - Cut to copy the current text selection into the clipboard and then
delete it from the editor.  All formatting is retained in the clipboard.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.3.2. Copy ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Edit - Copy to copy the current text selection into the clipboard.  All
formatting is copied too.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.3.3. Paste ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Edit - Paste to paste the contents of the clipboard into the editor.  If
the clipboard contents were from VyperHelp, then formatting will be retained.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.3.4. Delete ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Edit - Delete to delete the current text selection.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.3.5. Refresh ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Edit - Refresh to redraw the text editor window if it becomes corrupted.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.3.6. Edit Properties ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Edit - Properties to edit the selected Font or Link.  This action is
disabled if the keyboard cursor is not on a Font or Link icon.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.4. Insert Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.4.1. Insert Font ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Insert - Font to insert a group around the selected text to change font.
The standard font dialog will let you choose any system font.  Note: bold,
italic and underline must be selected with the corresponding Insert actions.
Those attributes will be ignored if selected from the font dialog.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.4.2. Insert Bold ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Insert - Bold to insert a group around the selected text to turn bold on.
You can also use Insert - Bold - Off to create a group which turns bold off.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.4.3. Insert Italic ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Insert - Italic to insert a group around the selected text to turn italic
on.  You can also use Insert - Italic - Off to create a group which turns
italic off.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.4.4. Insert Underline ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Insert - Underline to insert a group around the selected text to turn
underline on.  You can also use Insert - Underline - Off to create a group
which turns underline off.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.4.5. Insert Link ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Insert - Link to insert a group around the selected text to enable a
hyperlink.  The Link Window appears and lets you choose the target of the link.
You can also enter an empty target to create a group which turns hyperlink off.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.4.6. Insert Paragraph Break ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Insert - Paragraph break to insert a paragraph break into the text editor.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.4.7. Insert Line Break ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Insert - Line break to insert a line break into the text editor.  A line
break will move to the next line but not introduce extra space like a paragraph
break.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.4.8. Insert Symbol ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Insert - Symbol to insert a typographic symbol into the text editor.  The
Symbol Selection window will appear, allowing you to select a symbol.  If the
symbol cannot be displayed in the current character set, it will be displayed
as a grayed asterisk (*).  The name of the symbol will appear on the info line
when the cursor is on the symbol.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.2. Keyboard ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The accelerators for menu actions are listed in the menus.  In general, "Alt+"
combinations are reserved for section actions.  We have tried to use standard
accelerators wherever possible.

In the main window, you can use Tab to move between the section tree and the
text editor.

In the section tree, you can use standard container navigation (up, down, page
up, page down, home, end), use + and - to expand or collapse a branch, and use
Ctrl+PgUp and Ctrl+PgDn to scroll right and left.  Use Enter to open the
selected section.

In the text editor, you can use most standard movement and selection keys, plus
some additional, as follows:

 Up, Down, Right, Left: basic movement
 Home, End: beginning or end of line
 Ctrl+Home, Ctrl+End: top or bottom of section
 Ctrl+Right, Ctrl+Left: move right or left by word
 Ctrl+Up, Ctrl+Down: move to beginning or end of current group
 Shift+any above: extend selection while moving
 PgUp, PgDn: scroll panel up or down (does not move keyboard cursor)
 Ctrl+PgUp, Ctrl+PgDn: scroll panel left or right (does not move keyboard
cursor)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.3. Mouse ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can move the split bar between the section tree and the text editor by
clicking on it and dragging.

In the section tree, you can directly edit any section name by holding Alt as
you click on it.  End your editing by clicking away from the edit box.

In the text editor, click with the left button to move the keyboard cursor.
Double-click to move the keyboard cursor and then select the cursored word.
Drag after a click or double-click to extend the selection.

Drag and drop is not currently supported.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Windows ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1. Main Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The main window is divided into two panes.  On the left is the section tree,
which displays the contents of the document in tree form.  On the right is the
text editor, which holds the contents of the open section.  Note that the
"open" section may not be the same as the "selected" section.  The selected
section is indicated by dark background.  The open section is indicated by
cross-hatch on the icon.

The main window may be re-sized, and the split bar between the panes may also
be moved by clicking and dragging with the mouse.

The info line at the bottom of the main window describes the selected menu
choice or the cursored item in the text editor.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2. File Properties ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The File Properties window lets you set the document title, and lets you record
subject, version, copyright and author.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3. Section Properties ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Section Properties window lets you set the section title, and lets you
manage keywords and labels.  Uncheck the List in table of contents checkbox if
you want the section to be hidden from the contents (i.e., accessible only
through links).

The Add, Modify, and Delete buttons next to the Keywords and Labels lists let
you manage the keywords and labels.  Keywords are used for indexing and
searching the document.  Labels are used for marking the target of a hyperlink.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4. Edit Keyword ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Edit Keyword window is used to add or modify a keyword for the selected
section.  Keywords are used to create an index and/or to provide search terms.
Check Include in index if you want the keyword included in the index, otherwise
it will only be used for searching.  Check Global if the keyword should be
accessible from outside the document.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.5. Edit Label ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Edit Label window is used to add or modify a label for the selected
section.  Labels are used to create targets for hyperlinks.  Generally only one
target is needed for each section, but some imported files have more than one
in a section.  Set Value to the numeric value for the label.  This is the
resource value used in the HELPTABLE when linking to an application window.
Hex provides an alternate entry in hexadecimal.  Check Global if the label
should be accessible from outside the document.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.6. Edit Link ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Edit Link window is used to create or edit a link.  Target is the name of
the target label for the link.  The drop-down list is filled with all of the
labels defined in the current document, or you can type a label name not
listed.  Use an empty target to turn hyperlinks off.

Check External file and enter a filename if the target is located in a separate
document.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.7. Select Symbol ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Symbol Selection window lets you select a typographic symbol for insertion
in the text editor at the cursored position.  All available symbols are listed,
and the symbol is shown in square brackets if it is available in the current
character set.  You can use arrow keys, Ctrl+PgUp and Ctrl+PgDn, Home, End and
alpha keys to navigate.  Hit Enter or double-click to insert the selected
symbol.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Usage Notes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

These sections give tips, limitations, a list of known bugs and troubleshooting
information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. Tips ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Tips section contains hints and tips for using VyperHelp effectively.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.1. Sample Document (vyper.vyd) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The sample document provided with VyperHelp is the actual source for the
VyperHelp help file.  You can use it as an example to learn how VyperHelp can
be used to create online help, or as a template for your own help file.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.2. Import and Export with VYX ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The command-line conversion program is faster and supports more features than
the editor.  See limitations for a complete list of features which aren't
supported under the editor.  If only want to convert WinHelp to IPF, you should
use the conversion program.  You can also use the conversion program to create
a VyperHelp file (VYD), and then later edit that file, but some features will
be lost when the file is edited.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.3. No Cancel ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

VyperHelp currently has no Undo function, and most dialogs have no Cancel
button.  Changes go into effect immediately as you enter them.  For this
reason, you may want to backup more often, or pay extra attention as you make
changes.

To close a window which doesn't have an OK or Cancel button, use the system
menu in the upper-left, or in Warp 4 use the Close button, or use Alt+F4.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.4. Section Operations ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Note that some of the actions in the Section menu act on the selected section
and its subsections, while others act on the selected section alone.  In
particular, the following actions apply to the section with its sub-sections:
Delete, Promote, Demote, Up, Down, Expand and Collapse.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.5. Understanding Format Groups ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Formatting groups are shown with arrowhead icons.  The first icon represents
the start of a group and the seconds represents the end of a group.  The two
icons are "connected", so when you delete the group start, the end will also be
deleted.  The editor will not let you directly delete the group end.

Groups are used to turn on and off some formatting, similar to begin and end
tags in IPF or HTML.  In VyperHelp, although group icons are inserted with
another formatting icon (such as bold), they can be managed separately.  In
other words, you can delete the group, without deleting the bold, in which case
the bold is no longer contained to the original selection.  This can be
confusing, but useful once you understand it.

The editor will give an error if you attempt to "cross-nest" groups.
Cross-nesting is when the end of a group occurs before the end of an enclosed
group.

Ctrl+Up and Ctrl+Down can be used to move to the beginning or end of current
group.  This is useful for determining how the group icons are connected.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.6. Compiling IPF to HLP/INF ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The IPF file which is generated by VyperHelp must be compiled into HLP or INF
files with the IPF Compiler, from IBM.

The IPF compiler is available as part of the OS/2 Toolkit with most OS/2
development environments.  It is also available to device driver developers as
part of the free DDK, which can be found online at
http://service.software.ibm.com/ddk/.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.7. Creating a HELPTABLE ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you want to link your help to an application, you need to create a HELPTABLE
resource.  Some development environments will generate the HELPTABLE for you,
and some bypass the HELPTABLE and provide help "on the fly".  In any case, you
need to know the "help resource IDs" which were assigned to each help panel.
In VyperHelp terms, the resource IDs are the numeric values of the labels found
in the section properties.

There is currently no convenient way of listing all sections and corresponding
labels, but you can use File - Export - Diagnostic to create a text file which
has this information.  Look for the "Section" and "Label" lines.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. Limitations ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Limitations describes built-in limits of the system, including level of support
for various file formats.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.1. Editor Performance ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The text editor is not designed to hold large amounts of text (more than around
10K).  As you add more text, operations will become slower and your computer
may appear to stall or lockup.  We suggest limiting sections to serval pages
(around 2K) for readability as well as performance.

If you would like to import a large text (ASCII) file, it is best to create an
outline in VyperHelp, load the text file into the system editor, and cut and
paste portions into your sections.  NOTE: You can paste text into a section
without opening the section by using the Section - Paste action.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.2. Text Import and Export ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

When importing text, a single newline (CR or CRLF) is converted to a line
break.  Two consecutive newlines will be converted to a paragraph break.
Otherwise all white space (including tabs) are converted to spaces.

Alphanumerics are converted to text, and non-alphanumerics are converted to
symbols.  The test for alphanumeric is locale-specific.  See International
Support.

When exporting text, a paragraph break is converted to two consecutive
newlines, and a line break is converted to a single newline.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.3. WinHelp Import ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following WinHelp and RTF features are fully supported in VyperHelp and the
conversion program:

  bold, italic and underline
  hyperlinks
  font and font size
  line breaks
  index keywords
  document title and copyright
  topic title
  recognition of "contents" topic
  codepage support
  popup topics convert to a regular section
  mid-topic jumps
  comment footnotes

The following features are supported in the conversion program only:

  text color
  left and right margins
  right, left, and center alignment
  spacing between paragraphs
  simple tables
  bitmap graphics by reference

The following features are not supported:

  secondary help windows
  first line indent
  small caps, strikeout, invisible
  non-scrolling regions
  CNT (contents) files
  tab stops (each tab is converted to a space)
  borders
  browse sequences
  build tags
  WinHelp macros
  alternate search keywords
  Windows "Symbol" font
  hypergraphics
  inline pictures
  metafile graphics
  multi-resolution bitmaps


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.4. IPF Export ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Here are some notes about the IPF files which are generated:

Bitmap graphics are written to separate BMP files, named IPFnnnn.BMP, where
nnnn is a number starting at 1000.  Monochrome bitmaps appear inverted.  This
is an inconsistency withing OS/2.  Bitmaps are only supported by the conversion
program.

The font may appear smaller than specified (compared with the Font Pallette,
for example).  This is a problem with the OS/2 help viewer.

If bold, italic and underline are all on, the text appears pink in IPF.  IPF
does not support a style with all attributes on.

When a label is marked Global, it cannot be linked to internally. This appears
to be an IPF problem.

Multiple labels within a single section are not supported by IPF.  VyperHelp
supports it by creating invisible panels which auto-jump to the correct target
panel.  This occasionally causes navigation problems.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.5. International Support ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Although we attempted to make VyperHelp "locale-friendly" wherever possible, we
have not done any testing in this area.  We would be interested in hearing your
experiences and advice in this area.

VyperHelp uses the standard setlocale() function, which queries the current
locale information from the LANG environment variable.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3. Known Bugs ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section describes known bugs in the current (pre-release) version.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.1. Program appears to stall, no progress indicator ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This program is currently a single-threaded program, which means that there are
no "background operations".  In addition, this pre-release does not have any
"Please Wait" messages or progress indicators for long operations.  Some
operations may take some time to perform and the system may appear to hang.  We
hope to address these problems before release.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.2. F1 for help doesn't work from Symbol Selector ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The F1 key doesn't work from the Symbol Selection window.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.3. Drag select outside of editor doesn't work ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you select text by dragging, and then drag outside of the text editor pane,
the editor will not scroll.  Also, if you release the mouse outside of the
editor, the editor will not recognize the end of the drag, and it will require
a click to go out of selection mode.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.4. Info line has old info ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The info line at the bottom of the main screen will continue to hold
information from the last time the text editor window was open.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.5. Problems using double-click to select a word ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

In the text editor, double-click will select a word.  However, this doesn't
always work.  Also, if you double-click and then drag to select text, the
selection is not shown until you end the drag and release the mouse button.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.6. Font selection ignores attributes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Font selection dialog allows you to select bold, italic and underline, but
those attributes are ignored by VyperHelp.  Use the Insert- Bold, etc actions
to set those attributes.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.7. Refresh doesn't always clear background ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Refresh does not always clear the background.  Resizing the window should clear
the background.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.8. Bold and Italic don't draw correctly ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Italic doesn't completely erase the beginning and clips the end of the
selection.

Bold doesn't always draw correctly, either.  The problem with bold only happens
on certain machines.  If you have this problem, we would be interested in
knowing which video adapter you are using.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4. Troubleshooting ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Troubleshooting contains information on diagnosing problems or gathering
information for technical support.  It also contains more details about how
VyperHelp interacts with the system.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4.1. Capturing Diagnostic Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you are having problems with VyperHelp, you may be able to help us debug the
problem by capturing diagnostic information.

If the problem is related to import, export, loading or saving of files, you
can create a diagnostic trace of the file contents (a .VYT file).  This can be
done either by using the Export Diagnostic action in VyperHelp, or by using the
VYX conversion program from the command line.

If the problem involves an unexpected error, you can capture debug information
as follows:

 1. Open a command prompt.
 2. Move to the driectory where you installed VyperHelp.
 3. type "SET ICLUI_TRACE=ON".
 4. type "SET ICLUI_TRACETO=STDERR".
 5. type "vyper 2>vyper.err" to run VyperHelp.
 6. debug information will be written to the text file vyper.err.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4.2. Temporary Files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

VyperHelp creates temporary files to hold the contents of edited sections until
the file is saved.  These files are placed in a directory pointed to by the TMP
environment variable, if it exists.  Otherwise, the files will be placed in the
root directory or the current working directory.  The files are usually named
*.CTN.  They normally are erased after the program is closed, but may be left
if the program crashes.  Note: this same naming convention may be used by other
programs.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Feedback ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Please send any comments, suggestions or bug reports for this version of
VyperHelp.  Contact MekTek by one of the following means:

  Email: [e-mail]

  Fax: [phone]

Thank you for trying VyperHelp!


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1. Mailing List ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you would like to be informed by email of news about VyperHelp, send a note
to [e-mail], and we will add your email address to our mailing list.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2. Suggestions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

We are very interested in hearing suggestions for how VyperHelp could be
improved.  Please contact us.  In particular, we are interested in knowing
which of the following improvements you would be most interested in:

  Inline art
  Paragraph styles (numbered lists)
  Tables
  Colored text
  Undo
  Search/Replace
  IPF import
  WinHelp export
  Header file (.H) import/export
  HELPTABLE generation
  Improved performance in editor
  Toolbar
  Context menus
  Drag and drop
  Auto index generation
  Win32 native version
  Other...

The future of this progran is dependent on the interest level.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. License ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This VyperHelp pre-release and accompanying documentation (the "software") are
copyright (c) 1998 by MekTek.  All Rights Reserved.  The software is provided
FOR EVALUATION ONLY and may not be sold.

The software is owned by MekTek.  You are granted a limited license to use the
software until October 31, 1998.  After that date, the program will no longer
function, and all copies should be destroyed.

You may not modify the software in any way, including but not limited to
decompiling, disassembling or otherwise reverse engineering the program.

You may copy and/or distribute the software, as long as you copy the entire
package in unmodified form, including this license agreement.  The software may
not be bundled with any commercial package.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS".  The software is supplied with no warranty,
neither expressed nor implied.  MekTek disclaims all warranties for any damages
included but not limited to incidental or consequential damage caused directly
or indirectly by the software.

This agreement is governed under the laws of the State of Minnesota.