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HP Help System Developer's Guide

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 » Table of Contents

 » Glossary

 » Index

HP Part Number: B1171-90077

Edition: Version 3.0

Published: January 1995


Table of Contents

1 Introducing the HP Help System
Overview of Online Help
Objectives for Online Help
How Users Get Help
The HP Help Information Model
A "volume" is a collection of "topics"
A "product family" is a group of related help volumes
The Author's Job
Know your audience
Consider how your help is accessed
Collaborate with the application programmer
Organize and write your topics
Create run-time help files
Review help as the user will see it
The Programmer's Job
Consider how your help is accessed
Collaborate with the help author
Create and manage help dialogs
2 Organizing and Writing a Help Volume
A Help Volume at a Glance
General Markup Guidelines
Writing Your First Help Volume: A Step-by-Step Example
Creating a Topic Hierarchy
To create a home topic
To add a topic to the hierarchy
Creating Meta Information Topics
To create a meta information section
To add a non-hierarchical topic
Accessing Topics
To add an ID to a topic
To add an ID to an element within a topic
Using Entities
To create a text entity
To create a file entity
3 Writing a Help Topic
Creating Structure Within a Topic
To start a paragraph
To enter a list
To provide subheadings within a topic
To show a computer listing
To add a note, caution, or warning
Entering Inline Elements
To emphasize a word or phrase
To enter a book title
To display a computer literal
To display a variable
Creating Hyperlinks
To create a "jump" link
To create a definition link
To create a man page link
To create an execution link
To create an application-defined link
To link to a meta information topic
Displaying Graphics
To create a figure
To display an inline graphic
To wrap text around a graphic
Including Special Characters
To include a special character
Including Comments and Writer's Memos
To insert a comment
To insert a writer's memo
Creating a Keyword Index
To mark an index entry
Creating a Glossary
To mark a glossary term
To define a term in the glossary
4 Processing and Displaying a Help Volume
Creating Run-Time Help Files
To run `helptag'
To review and correct parser errors
Viewing a Help Volume
To run `helpview'
Testing Your Help
5 Creating and Managing Help Dialogs
The Quick Help Dialog
To create a quick help dialog
The General Help Dialog
To create a general help dialog
Creating a Dialog Cache
To create a dialog cache
To retrieve a dialog from your cache
To return a dialog to your cache
6 Responding to Help Requests
Displaying Help Topics
To display a help topic
To display a string of text
To display a text file
To display a man page
Enabling the Help Key (F1)
To add a help callback
Providing a Help Menu
Supporting Item Help Mode
To add support for "item help"
Using the Topic Access Functions
7 Handling Events in Help Dialogs
Responding to Hyperlink Events
To provide a hyperlink callback
Detecting When Help Dialogs are Dismissed
Using the Application-Defined Button
To enable the application-defined button
8 Preparing Your Product
How a Help Volume is Found
To change the help search paths
Gathering Run-Time Help Files
To gather the run-time help files for a volume
Registering Your Online Help
To register a help volume
To create and register a help family
To update the "browser" help volume
Product Preparation Checklists
9 Providing Help On Help
Accessing Help on Help in an Application
To set the `helpOnHelpVolume' resource
To provide a Using Help command
To provide help on help for a quick help dialog
To display help on help
Writing Your Own Help on Help Volume
To copy the Help4Help source files
10 Native Language Support
Preparing Online Help for International Audiences
Understanding Font Schemes
To choose a font scheme
11 HelpTag Markup Reference
<!-- ... -->
<abbrev>
<abstract>
<book>
<caution>
<chapter>
<computer>
<copyright>
<dterm>
<emph>
<!entity>
<esc>
<ex>
<figure>
<glossary>
<graphic>
<head>
<helpvolume>
<hometopic>
<idx>
<image>
<item>
<lablist>
<link>
<list>
<location>
<memo>
<metainfo>
<newline>
<note>
<otherfront>
<otherhead>
<p>
<procedure>
<quote>
<rsect>
<s1>...<s9>
<term>
<title>
<user>
<var>
<vex>
<warning>
<xref>
12 Summary of Special Character Entities
13 Command Summary
Processing HelpTag Files (`helptag')
Displaying Help Topics (`helpview')
Printing Help Topics (`helpprint' and `helpprintrst')
14 Summary of Application Programmers Interface
XvhCreateHelpDialog()
XvhCreateQuickHelpDialog()
XvhQuickDialogGetChild()
XvhReturnSelectedWidgetId()
XvhGetTopicData()
XvhProcessLinkData()
XvhFreeTopicData()
XvhSetCatalogName()
Glossary
Index
Printable version
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© 1988 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.