This is the Using Help overview. The Help system works in much the same way as other DECwindows applications, so learning how Help behaves will teach you a lot about how to use other applications. You need to be able to perform four basic tasks: - Select an additional topic - Return to a previous topic - Use context-sensitive help - Exit from Help For more information on any of these tasks, double click MB1 on the appropriate additional topic below. If you want help on all of the tasks, start with Selecting Additional Topics. To dismiss Using Help click on the Exit button below.
1 – over_basics
Information about using DECwindows, such as how to use
windows, dialog boxes, and scroll bars, is available
from Session Manager help. A glossary of DECwindows
terms is also available. To get Session Manager help:
1. Move the pointer to the Session Manager icon (the
icon that contains a small key in it) in the Icon
Box.
2. Press mouse button 1 (MB1) twice quickly to display
the Session Manager window.
3. Move the pointer to the Help menu; press and hold
MB1 to pull down this menu.
4. Move the pointer to the Overview menu item and
release MB1 to display information about using
DECwindows.
2 – Over guide functions
Most help topics include a list of related topics in the additional topics area. To see one of these additional topics, position the pointer over the topic you want and double click MB1. To see a list of all topics, choose Title... from the Search menu. To continue on this tour, double click on Returning to Previous Topics from the list of additional topics below.
2.1 – buttons_goback
There are two buttons at the bottom of the Help window, labeled Go Back and Exit. Clicking on the Go Back button displays the previous topic. This is useful if you want to review something, or if you find that you have taken the wrong path and you are not getting the help you thought you were going to get. Each time you click on the Go Back button, the next previous topic is displayed, until you return to the first frame. If the topic you want to see is a long way back, use the History... menu option from the Search menu.
2.2 – cshelp
Context-sensitive help is a way of getting the information you need without starting from the overview topic. It allows you to access information based on the context you are working in. To use this feature, you press the Help button on the keyboard, move the pointer over the subject on the screen that you want help on, then click MB1. This operation is just like using the Shift key on a typewriter. You hold down the Help key until you press and release MB1, then release the Help key. If context-sensitive help is available on the subject you have chosen, it is displayed by the Help system, just as it would be if you had found the information by navigating from the Overview. If there is no context-sensitive help on your chosen topic, nothing will happen. In this case, access help by choosing the Overview menu item from the Help menu.
2.3 – buttons_exit
There are two buttons in the Help window, labeled Exit and Go Back. Selecting the Exit button closes the Help window and returns control to the application you were running when you asked for help. For information on other Help features, make an appropriate selection from the list of additional topics. Select one of the menus to look at some advanced help features.
2.4 – Over guide window
The Help window is split into three sections. Like all DECwindows applications, the top section is a menu bar. The menus in the Help menu bar are File, Edit, View, Search, and Using Help. Under the menu bar is the topic title and the help text describing the particular topic. For example, this is the second paragraph of help text in the topic titled Help Window. Under the help text is a section called Additional Topics. This is a list of other topic titles that are relevant to the information provided in the current topic. For example, two of the additional topics below are called Help Texts and List of Additional Topics. To find out more about a particular section of the help window, select it from the list below.
2.4.1 – over_guide_help_frame
The help text is the part of the window where the information itself is displayed.
2.4.2 – over_guide_list_box
The list of additional topics identifies topics that can be selected from the current help topic. Double click on a topic to select it.
3 – Menus File
The File menu contains two menu items, Save As... and Exit. The Save As... menu item saves a copy of the current help topic in a file. You can use topics saved in this way as input to other documents, or to print out the information contained in a particularly useful help topic. The Exit menu item closes the current Help window. Note that this does not affect any other Help window that might be open at the same time.
4 – Menus Edit
The Edit menu consists of two menu items. The Copy menu item copies a selected portion of text into the clipboard. The Select All menu item copies the whole of the current help topic to the clipboard. For further details, select the appropriate menu item from the list below.
4.1 – Menus Edit Copy
The Copy menu item in the Edit menu copies the selected portion of text into the clipboard. This is useful for copying details into another application, for example to fill in a text block in a paint program, or to insert a detail into a Calendar meeting agenda. If you want to copy the whole topic, it is easier to use the Select All menu item.
4.2 – Menus Edit Select
The Select All menu item in the Edit menu is an easy way to select the whole of the current help topic. It can then be copied to the clipboard. Like Copy, this is useful for copying details into another application, for example to fill in a text block in a paint program, or to insert a detail into a Calendar meeting agenda.
5 – Menus Go
The difference between Go To Topic and Visit Topic is that Go To Topic replaces the current help topic with a new one, while Visit Topic creates a new window for the new topic, so that both the current topic and the new one are displayed simultaneously. Overview is the top level help topic, and the Glossary is a list of terms specific to the application. For more information on any View menu item, select the appropriate menu item from the list below.
5.1 – Menus Go Goto
After you have selected a topic from the list of additional topics, you can perform a Go To Topic or Visit Topic operation on that selection. If no topic is selected, these menu items are dimmed. Double clicking on the selected topic has the same result as selecting a topic and then selecting the Go To Topic menu item. If you perform a Go To Topic operation on the selection, the current help topic in the Help window is replaced by the new topic. In the Help system, performing a Go To Topic operation is the most common operation. So in Help, selecting something from the list of additional topics by double clicking MB1 performs a Go To Topic operation. See the Visit Topic menu item for the alternative to Go To Topic.
5.2 – Menus Go Back
Go Back replaces the current help topic with the preceding help topic. It is possible to step back through all the help topics you have seen. Stepping back through previous topics in this way can also be achieved using the Go Back button, which has exactly the same function as this menu item, or by using the History... menu item from the Search menu. Both these methods can be quicker than using this menu item, particularly if you want to go a long way back.
5.3 – Menus Go Visit
After you have selected a topic from the list of additional topics, you can perform a Visit Topic or Go To Topic operation on that selection. If no topic is selected, these menu items are dimmed. When you perform a Visit Topic operation on a selected topic, the Help system displays the new topic in a separate window, so that you can see both old and new topics at the same time. This makes it possible to read two or more help topics simultaneously. See the Go To Topic menu item for the alternative to Visit Topic.
5.4 – Menus Go Gotoover
Choosing the Go To Overview menu item causes the current help topic to be replaced by the Overview help topic for the current application. This topic provides access to the whole help library for the current application.
5.5 – Menus Go Visitgloss
Choosing the Visit Glossary menu item causes the current application glossary to be displayed in a separate Help window. A term can then be selected from the glossary, and its definition is displayed in the Glossary window. Note: Not all applications use the Glossary menu item. In these cases, the Visit Glossary menu item from the View menu and the Glossary... menu item from the Help menu are dimmed or missing.
6 – Menus Search
The Search menu contains three menu items. The History... menu item allows you to search through and choose from a list of the help topics you have already seen. The Title... and Keyword... menu items allow you to search through lists of the titles or keywords of the current help library. For further details, select the requisite menu item from the list of additional topics below.
6.1 – Menus Search History
Every topic that you select while in a Help session is recorded by the History... menu item. Selecting the History... menu item gives you see this record. Choose the History... menu item. A dialog box appears, listing all the topics viewed during the current Help session. The list is in chronological order, but duplicates are discarded. Select a topic in the usual way: double click on the topic to Go To Topic, or single click and then choose an operation by clicking on the desired push buttons. The Go Back button also uses the history record, in this case stepping back one topic at a time. The History... menu item provides a short cut if the topic you want is a long way back.
6.2 – Menus Search Title
Every help topic has a title. The Title... menu item can be used to find a particular topic quickly. Selecting the Title... menu item causes a dialog box to appear. Click on the Apply button to display all the titles in the current help library in the box. To make a more specific search, enter a word or phrase in the Title field, and click on the Apply button. Only those titles containing your word or phrase are then listed. After you have found the topic you require, select the topic in the usual way: double click on the topic to Go To Topic, or single click and then choose an operation by clicking on the desired push buttons.
6.3 – Menus Search Keyword
The Keyword... dialog box finds help topics that relate to a keyword you choose from a list of keywords. The available keywords are displayed in a list in the Keyword... dialog box. To use the keywords, either select one from the list, or enter one directly in the Keyword field at the top of the box. Then click on the Apply button. The Topic Titles list will then display all the titles which match your chosen keyword. After you have found the topic you require, select the topic in the usual way: double click on the topic to Go To Topic, or single click and then choose an operation by clicking on the desired push buttons.
7 – Menus Help
The Help menu contains three menu items. The Help menu item provides access to the overview topic of the current application help library. The Glossary menu item visits the current application's glossary. The About menu item provides copyright information about the current application software. For further details, select the appropriate menu item from the list below.
7.1 – Menus Help Help
Choosing the overview causes a Help window to open, displaying the overview topic. All the help for the application is available from this topic. You make an appropriate selection from the list of additional topics. Not all the topic titles are displayed in the additional topics lists---the lists would get too long. If you do not see what you are looking for, pick something close, and then scan the additional topics list of the new topic. Alternatively, do a title search by selecting Title... from the Search menu. For example, in the overview topic for the Calendar application, only the menu names are displayed in the list, not the individual menu items. So here, you would choose the menu name first, and then select the menu item you are looking for from the next list.
7.2 – Menus Help Glossary
Choosing the Glossary menu item causes the Help Glossary to be displayed in a separate Help window. You can then select a term from the Glossary, which will cause its definition to be displayed in the Glossary window.
7.3 – Menus Help About
The About menu item provides information about the current application software, for example the name, the copyright notice, and additional trademark and product information. This information provides legal protection for application software.