Appendix M
The
HLPFULHLP file
Using The Help Facility
INFO's Help Facility is designed so that you can extend it to suit your needs. This section describes the format to use when adding your own files to INFO's Help Facility.
INFO determines whether a given help topic is available by searching a special file called HLPFULHLP, found in the INFOSYS directory. The HLPFULHLP file contains one record for each help topic supported by INFO.
HLPFULHLP contains only ASCII character information.
The first 12 characters of each HLPFULHLP record contain the name by which that particular help topic is referenced. The next 2 characters describe the length of the minimum abbreviation for the topic name (an integer).
The next 2 characters describe the number of words in the topic name. The rest of each HLPFULHLP record contains the full pathname of the file in which the help text itself is stored. These file names end with 'HLP'. Below is an example of the layout of the HLPFULHLP file.
INPUT FORM
IPF
GET
03
03
03
2
1
1
INPUT
INPUT
GET
The records in the HLPFULHLP file do not have to be in sorted order.
Once INFO has found a specified help topic in the
HLPFULHLP file, it searches for the appropriate file in your current directory. If the file does not exist there,
INFO searches for it in the directory specified in your current ADIR setting. INFO's default help files are in the
INFOSYS directory. Note that when the current ADIR setting is not INFOSYS, the Help Facility does not operate correctly.
INFO Reference Manual Appendices A-109
Using The Help Facility
Appendix M
Format of a help file
$SUBT subtopic name
$OVRV
$WAIT question string
$ST subtopic
$END
Each help file in the Help Facility contains special control commands to tell INFO how many subtopics exist for that help topic and where each subtopic text segment begins and ends. The control records and their formats are as follows:
Defines the subtopics available in a specified help topic.
The length of the subtopic name is limited to 40 characters. You can include more than one $SUBT control command in one help file. $SUBT control commands must precede $ST control commands in a help file.
Indicates the beginning of the overview section of a help file. The text in this section of a help file is shown when you do not specify a subtopic on the HELP command line.
Indicates that INFO should pause and ask if you want more help. If you have specified a question in the $WAIT control command, INFO uses this question to prompt you
Otherwise, it uses the default message NEED MORE
HELP (Y OR N) as each screenful of help text is displayed
If you respond Y, INFO displays another page of help text.
If you respond N, INFO ends the help session.
Indicates the beginning of a subtopic text segment and the end of the previous one. If you specify both a help topic and a subtopic, the specified help file is searched until a control record with the specified subtopic name is found.
INFO then lists that portion of the help file until it finds another subtopic control record or reaches an $END control record. A corresponding $SUBTOPIC control record must precede a given $ST control record; if the
$SUBTOPIC control record is not found, INFO displays a
NO HELP AVAILABLE... message.
Indicates the end of a help file.
A-110 Appendices INFO Reference Manual
Appendix M
Using The Help Facility
Sample help file
An individual help file might look something like this:
$OVRV
Jogging with INFO.
PURPOSE: To become productive at work while using the INFO data management system.
$SUBT FUN
$SUBT EFFICIENT
$SUBT FAST
$ST FUN
Fun Jogging with INFO
It is fun to include INFO in your daily exercise regimen.
.
.
.
$ST EFFICIENT
Efficient Jogging with INFO
You can gain efficiency by including INFO in your daily exercise regimen.
.
.
.
$ST FAST
Running Fast with INFO
You can take off with INFO.
$WAIT Do you really want to read more of this?
.
.
.
$END
INFO Reference Manual Appendices A-111
