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CLPHLP22.ARJ
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WHATSNEW.TXT
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1992-04-03
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What's New in ClipHelp (C) vs. 2.2
----------------------------------
Optional ability to call a UDF on accessing help (a 'pre-help'
UDF) and/or another on leaving help (a 'post-help UDF') via public
variables in Summer 87 version and code block parameters in
Clipper 5 version. Scope for imagination!
Fixed bug in both 2.1 vs libraries whereby help screens overlaid a
junk background when ClipHelp was used in mono mode.
For those presently using ClipHelp vs 2.1 (CLHLP2.EXE dated
19-Feb-92), or vs 2.0 (CLHLP2.EXE dated 5-Jan-92) the following
sidelined extracts from the vs 2.2 user manual (CLIPHELP.DOC)
summarise changes in the new library files:
13. Clipper Summer '87 version - PUBLIC variables to declare in
your application
Include the following statements and function call in the main .PRG
module of your application (or in your setup procedure if you use
one):
* ----- Declare ClipHelp PUBLIC variables
PUBLIC no_pages,; && (N) ) Used
no_topics,; && (N) ) within
st_rec,; && (N) ) ClipHelp
head_tag,; && (C))
hlp_var,; && (C) Context-sensitivity variable
explode,; && (L) .T. - explode boxes, else .F.
expl_in,; && (N) Box expansion increment 1-2.
expl_dl,; && (N) 0=fastest. Increase to slow.
shadow,; && (L) .T. - shadow boxes, else .F.
mono,; && (L) .T. - force mono, .F. - color
| prehelpfn,; && (C) Procname to call when F1 tapped
| posthelpfn,; && (C) Procname to call before return
hpath && (C) Location of HELP.DAT specified
&& as "<disk>:\<sub-dirirectory>\"
* ----- Declare default values
STORE 0 TO no_pages, no_topics, st_rec
STORE "" TO hlp_var, head_tag, hpath
STORE .T. TO explode && Change these to suit your
STORE .T. TO shadow && preferences. You could use
STORE .F. TO mono && command line parameters in
expl_in = 1 && your application
expl_dl = 5 && if you wish.
| prehelpfn = "" && ) See 'Optional UDFs on entering
| posthelpfn = "" && ) and leaving Help' on page 19.
* ----- Call function which gathers important information
* from HELP.DAT for later use when <F1> pressed
LdHelpMU()
| SUGGESTION: To avoid 'typos', use your ASCII editor's facilities
| ---------- to cut and paste everything above from
|
| '* ----- Declare ClipHelp...'
| to
|
| 'LdHelpMU()'
|
| into your application's source code, then edit
| judiciously.
| 15. Optional UDFs on entering and leaving Help
|
| ClipHelp vs 2.2 optionally allows user defined functions to be
| called:
|
| (a) immediately following the tapping of <F1> and before the
| display of help screens; and
|
| (b) immediately following the removal of help screens and
| prior to return to the point in an application at which
| <F1> was tapped.
|
| in case you wish to have some special routine performed at either or
| both of these points.
|
| In the Summer 87 version this is achieved by assigning the names of
| UDFs to public variables PREHELPFN and POSTHELPFN, respectively, eg
|
| prehelpfn = "MyPreHlpFn"
| posthelpfn = "MyPstHlpFn"
|
| for pre-help function MyPreHlpFn(), while in the Clipper 5 version
| it is achieved by passing code blocks containing them as optional
| parameters 7 and 8 when initially calling LdHelpMU(), eg
|
| LdHelpMU( <par1>..<par6>,{||MyPreHlpFn()},{||MyPstHlpFn()} )
|
| Note that any functions called at these points should save current
| color and cursor conditions (and blink conditions in Clipper 5) on
| entry and restore them on exit, if appropriate. If you so wish, you
| can have your pre-help function cause a return to your application
| without displaying help by:
|
| Summer 87 - keyboarding a CHR(255) prior to returning, ie
|
| KEYBOARD CHR(255)
|
| This enables you to let the user use <Esc> if you wish.
| ClipHelp automatically follows this with a CLEAR TYPEAHEAD
| command so that nothing untoward will happen on return to
| your application.
|
| Clipper 5 - returning (.F.). Be sure to return (.T.) to
| proceed with the display of help screens.
|
| Any value returned by a post-help function is ignored.
|
| How can these function calls be used? Here are a couple of
| suggestions:
|
| (c) Some users of earlier versions of ClipHelp complained that
| while their mouse was being turned off on summoning Help
| it was not being restored afterwards. Whether or not this
| happens seems to be related to the mouse driver in use
| moreso than to mouse functions. If you experience such a
| problem you could write a pre-help function to save the
| current mouse condition and post-help one which calls your
| own library's mouse restore function prior to returning
| from Help.
|
| (d) A post-help function could be used in the latter stages of
| development to call a function opening with a dialogue box
| by means of which a user could opt to append notes to a
| disk file for later scrutiny by the programmer with
| suggestions about help screens.
|
| I would welcome responses from users about the uses they have found
| for these functions.
__________
ClipHelp (C) 1991, 1992
Richard Eddy
S.R. Eddy & Associates
Perth, Western Australia Tel: 61 9 455-1004 CIS ID: 100033,3272
3 April 1992