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1995-03-18
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==============================================================================
Quick HELP V2.0
© J.Tyberghein Mon Nov 12 12:17:09 1990
==============================================================================
Preface
-------
These programs are intended for everyone. They are extremely useful
if you are, for example, a programmer and you have some help-files.
Suppose that you want to know the syntax of the EXEC AllocMem command.
Normally you would start an editor (or use the one which is already in
memory) and load the corresponding help-file. (You can of course 'type'
them, but this can be very timeconsuming if the help-file is big)
Then you must search the right entry in this help-file.
This may look easy to you, but sometimes it's just difficult enough to
refrain you from using such help-files.
These three utilites (MakeHelp, Help and ArcFiles) allow you to
make your own help-files. When this is done you simply type
'Help AllocMem' and there comes your information !
To guarantee maximum flexibility these programs are able to read files
crunched with the PowerPacker (Author Nico François).
You can crunch each help-file individually and then archive them in
one big file. The advantage of this is that the resulting file will
be smaller than the sum of the original files (although a bit bigger
than if you had crunched them all together), but it will only be necessary
to decrunch the individual files when needed (of course this will be
done automatically for you).
To guarantee an even greater amount of flexibility you can show the
information you want in every editor you like. (The ouput will be
put in a temporary file and the editor will automatically be
invoked with this file)
And in case you have PPMore (also by Nico François), the biggest
amount of flexibility is likely to be yours. For in that case there
is no additional overhead for using a temporary file.
These programs (Help, MakeHelp and ArcFiles V2.0) are public domain but
contributions and some utilities are always welcome.
If you want to use any of these programs for commercial purposes please
write for permission !
If you have any suggestions or remarks you can write to (Bug reports are
welcome too)
Jorrit Tyberghein
Hepmansbossen 31
2450 Meerhout BELGIUM
WARNING:
If you want to use this utilities you must have AmigaDOS 2.0 (or later
:-).
If you want to use the MEMORY option with PPMore (explained later) you
need PPMore version 2.0 or later.
These programs accept crunched DATA-files made by PowerPacker 1.1 or
later.
Only use Help, MakeHelp and ArcFiles if they have the same
version number (unless stated otherwise).
If you use the PROG option (in HELP), you must assign T:.
All this utilities are pure, so you can use them with 'Resident'.
At the end of this document you find a simple example.
New in QuickHelp V2.0
---------------------
ARP dependancy is removed
AmigaDOS 2.0
Made pure
New LIST option in Help
ArcFiles can extract files
ArcFiles
--------
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| Commandline template: |
| Files/m,TO=ARC/a,ADD/s,LIST/s,X=EXTRACT/s,FP=FULLPATH/s: |
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Usage: |
| ArcFiles { <Files>... } <TO Dest> [ADD|EXTRACT] [FULLPATH] |
| or |
| ArcFiles <ARC Archive> LIST |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
This program is a small archiver. It is made especially for the
help utilities. You can use it for your own purposes if you like
(but not commercially).
<Files> : files to archive
you can use all AmigaDOS wildcards
(see the DOS documentation for more information)
<Dest> : this is the destination for the archive
ADD : if this option is used the <Files> will be appended
to an existing archive <Dest>
LIST : generate a listing of this archive
if this option is specified <Dest> must be an
existing archive file
EXTRACT : extract all files matching the <Files> patterns
FULLPATH : use this option if you want to extract the
archive files in their directory, otherwise
they will be extracted in the current directory
examples:
ArcFiles dh0:docs/#?.docs to dh0:DocArc.ppa
will archive all files in 'dh0:docs' with extension '.docs' in the file
'dh0:DocArc.ppa'. If this destination file was there already it
will be deleted.
ArcFiles dh0:docs/#?.docs to dh0:DocArc.ppa add
will add the files in 'dh0:docs' with extension '.docs' to the
existing archive file dh0:DocArc.ppa
ArcFiles arc dh0:DocArc.ppa list
will generate a listing of all the files in 'dh0:DocArc.ppa'.
ArcFiles dh0:docs/Exec.doc df0:sources/#?.c to df0:ExecAndSources.ppa
will archive the file 'dh0:docs/Exec.doc' and all files in
'df0:sources' with extension '.c' in 'df0:ExecAndSources.ppa'.
Note that ArcFiles will give no warning if 'dh0:docs/Exec.doc'
does not exist. It will simply not archive it (rather obvious
isn't it ?).
ArcFiles a#? b#? arc Archive extract fp
Extract all files from 'Archive' that start with an 'a' or a 'b'.
Use the original path name for these files.
Arc format (V1.2, format has not changed since V1.2):
I will give a description of the Arc format, so you can use it for
your own purposes.
The file starts with two longwords. The first is equal to 'PPA1'.
The second is the offset in the file to where the Archive descriptor
table is located.
After these two longwords the files begin.
The archive descriptor (at the end of the file) contains the following:
A null terminated string : the name and path name of the sub-file
A long word indicating the offset of the sub-file in this archive
A long word indicating the length of the sub-file
And this is repeated for every sub-file in the archive.
Simply check for EOF to stop scanning.
MakeHelp
--------
+---------------------------------------------+
| Commandline template: |
| From,CtrlFile,ADD/s,WORD/n,CLASS/k: |
|---------------------------------------------|
| Usage: |
| MakeHelp <Help file> <Ctrl file> [ADD] |
| [WORD num] [CLASS class] |
+---------------------------------------------+
This program makes the help control files for you. These control
files are plain ASCII so you can add or delete lines as you wish.
<Help file> : the file containing the help (in a special format,
explained below)
<Ctrl file> : the control file to make or to adjust
ADD : specify this option if you want to add help items
to the control file (adjusting)
WORD num : normally the parser searches for the first word in
the text. This word will be the keyword for you to
use with the help utility (see below for an example).
With this option you can specify which word you want
as the keyword
CLASS class : to make the Quick Help utilities more flexible, you
can group your help items in classes. When you use
this option the newly added help items will be of
class <class>. If you omit this option they will have
class 'Misc' (from miscellaneous).
The help-file must have the following format:
If the help-file is a crunched or normal file:
When you place a marker ('@') in the beginning of a line, MakeHelp
will search for the next (depending on the WORD option) word and
will start a new help item entry here. This word is then the keyword
for the Help utility.
This marker is not necessary in the beginning of the file.
At the end of the help text for this item you place '===' in the
beginning of the line. This is not necessary at the end of the file.
If the help-file is an archive (each individual file may
be crunched):
If each individual file in the help-file corresponds with one help
item, you need not place markers. The items are selected automatically.
In fact you can think about each individual file as a real file.
With this in your mind you can reread the previous paragraph.
If there are multiple help items in each individual file you must
place the corresponding markers (read the previous paragraph for
for more information)
examples:
MakeHelp dh0:docs/exec.ppa s:help.file
will make a new file 's:help.file' and add all marked help items in
the archive file 'dh0:docs/exec.ppa'. If every individual file in
the archive corresponds with one help-item, no markers are needed.
MakeHelp dh0:docs/arexx.doc s:help.file add
will add all marked help items in the normal file 'dh0:docs/arexx.doc'
to 's:help.file'. The file 's:help.file' must already exist.
MakeHelp dh0:docs/arexx.doc s:help.file add word 2
same as previous but we now take the second word after the marker '@'
as our keyword.
MakeHelp dh0:docs/exec.ppa s:help.file class exec
same as the first example, but now the items will have class 'exec'
instead of 'Misc'.
Control file format (V1.2, format has not changed since V1.2):
There are two possible lines in a control file: an option line or
a normal line.
- An option line starts with '#'. The following options are supported:
PROG prog
When Help selects a help item after this option, the help text
will be directed to the program 'prog' (most likely an editor).
While prog is executing you can find the help text in the
file t:HelpTemp.
MEMORY prog
Same as previous option, but now there is no temporary file
needed. The help text is loaded directly in memory. At the moment
only PPMore (version 2.0 and later) supports this option (MEMORY
PPMore), but you can write your own programs to support this option
if you like. You could, for example, use this option to make an
efficient ARexx interface.
When prog is executed it will have the following argument line:
MEMVIEW <Hex address memory>,<Hex length>,<Hex options>,
<Title string>
The first three hex integers are all longwords.
If the first bit (bit 0) of the last hex integer (Hex options) is
1, you must free the memory when you are ready (With Help this
is always the case).
for example:
MEMVIEW C02310,12C0,1,Title
must be interpreted as:
on address 0xC02310 you find my text. It is 0x12C0 bytes long
and you must free it after you are ready. The title is
'Title'.
RUN
Use this option if you want to run <prog> (from MEMORY or PROG)
instead of executing. (executing is the default)
NORUN
Use this option if you want to execute <prog>. (default)
STDO
When this option is used, the help text will go to the
standard Output (the CLI window).
This option overrides PROG and MEMORY and is the default.
CLASS <class>
All following help items will be of class <class>.
FILE <file>
Default file for help text (explained below).
- All other lines are help item lines.
They have the following format:
<KeyWord> '|' <File> or '*' '|' <Offset> [ '|' <individual file> ]
<KeyWord> is obvious.
<File> is the file where the help text can be found.
If <File> is a '*' the current file is taken (FILE option).
<Offset> is the offset in the file where the help text starts
if the file is not archived, and the offset in the individual
file if the file is archived.
<individual file> (only for archived files) is the individual
file where the help text can be found.
This control file format implies that:
- If you change the help-file you must change the control file,
because some offsets could change.
- If you add individual files to the help-file (an archive file in
this case) you need not change the offsets because the offsets are
relative in the individual files, and you only add another
individual file.
- If a help-file is not an archive you may freely crunch or
decrunch this file (with PowerPacker), because the offsets will
not change
(the offsets are always the offsets in the decrunched file).
- Crunched archive files are not supported (and not very useful).
- If you rename the help-file, you must change the corresponding
FILE option in the control file.
Help
----
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Commandline template: |
| Name/a,CtrlFile,RUN/s,NORUN/s,MEMORY/k,PROG/k,STDO/s,LIST/s: |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| Usage: |
| Help [<Class>,]<Name> [<File>] [RUN | NORUN] |
| [STDO | (MEMORY | PROG) prog] [LIST] |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
This utility gives you the help you want.
<Name> : this is the help item you want help about
You will get the first corresponding help item
HELP finds.
Note that it is not necessary to give the full
help item name. Case is not important either.
You can use wildcars in <Name>.
<Class> : if <Class> is specified HELP will look for the
help item in this Class.
Note that it is not necessary to give the full
class name. Case is not important.
<File> : control file (made by MakeHelp). 's:help.file' is
the default.
RUN NORUN STDO MEMORY PROG RUN
: these options are the same as the equivalent options
in the control file. When one of these options is
given, the corresponding control file options are
ignored.
LIST : Do not give help, but list all items that correspond
with the given <Class> and <Name>.
examples:
Help AllocMem
gives help about the EXEC function 'AllocMem' (if your help-files and
control file are correct)
Help NewExec,AllocMem
will give help about the EXEC function 'AllocMem' in class 'NewExec'.
(class 'NewExec' could for example contain all additions to the
'AllocMem' function in 2.0)
Help AllocMem run memory ppmore
gives help about 'AllocMem'. HELP will run 'PPMore'. Because we used
the 'memory' option, there will be no temporary file.
Note that you can only use the 'memory' option if you have PPMore
1.3 or later.
Global example
--------------
Suppose that I have 3 help-files, each one containing 2 help items.
Helpfile1:
| command list
| ... (help for list command)
| command dir
| ... (help for dir command)
Helpfile2:
| command copy
| ... (help for copy)
| move
| ... (help for move)
Helpfile3:
| command delete
| ... (help for delete)
| command format
| ... (help for format)
Fine,... I notice that each help item (like 'list','dir','copy',...) is
the second word, but I didn't realize this wasn't the case with 'move' !
I must add marks to the help-files because every help-file contains 2
help items.
Helpfile1:
| @command list
| ... (help for list command)
| ===
| @command dir
| ... (help for dir command)
| ===
Helpfile2:
| @command copy
| ... (help for copy)
| ===
| @move
| ... (help for move)
| ===
Helpfile3:
| @command delete
| ... (help for delete)
| ===
| @command format
| ... (help for format)
| ===
(Strange, I still didn't see that 'move' is not the second word !)
First I am going to crunch all help-files with the PowerPacker CLI
command.
So I type:
1> crunch HelpFile#? ram:
All my help-files are on the ram disk.
1> dir ram:
| t (dir)
| helpfile1.pp helpfile2.pp
| helpfile3.pp
Now I archive them.
1> arcfiles ram:#? to ram:HelpFiles.ppa
1> delete ram:#?.pp
1> dir ram:
| t (dir)
| HelpFiles.ppa
Everything is going fine. Let's make a control file.
1> makehelp ram:HelpFiles.ppa s:Help.File word 2 class Commands
I have made 6 help items in class 'Commands'
1> type s:Help.File
| #FILE ram:HelpFiles.ppa
| #CLASS Commands
| delete | * | 1 | ram:helpfile3.pp
| format | * | 80 | ram:helpfile3.pp
| list | * | 138 | ram:helpfile1.pp
| dir | * | 81 | ram:helpfile1.pp
| copy | * | 125 | ram:helpfile2.pp
| this | * | 98 | ram:helpfile2.pp
Oops ! Something went wrong ! I didn't need a help-item named 'this' !
But this is no problem. Simply edit 's:Help.File' and change
'this' to 'move'.
So everything is allright. Let's try it.
1> help del
| command delete
| ... (help for delete)
There are still two things I have to do. First I want to put the archive
'HelpFiles.ppa' on my disk, because it won't live very long on my ram disk.
1> copy ram:HelpFiles.ppa df0:
Now I change the FILE option in 's:Help.File'.
I add two other lines because I want the help output in the PPMore window.
1> type s:Help.File
| #FILE df0:HelpFiles.ppa <<<
| #MEMORY PPMore <<<
| #RUN <<<
| #CLASS Commands
| delete | * | 1 | ram:helpfile3.pp
| format | * | 80 | ram:helpfile3.pp
| list | * | 138 | ram:helpfile1.pp
| dir | * | 81 | ram:helpfile1.pp
| copy | * | 125 | ram:helpfile2.pp
| this | * | 98 | ram:helpfile2.pp
Everything is ready !
==============================================================================
End of Quick HELP 2.0 document
==============================================================================