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Creating context-sensitive help

Appendix B

Creating context-sensitive help

This appendix explains how to connect context-sensitive help to your SCOadmin manager. The DocView help system provides a simple mechanism for associating windows and window elements (referred to hereafter as widgets) with text files.

The help system uses the following abstractions:


widget sum
a unique symbolic tag generated by the help system that is used to associate help with a window or widget. (This sum is based on the full widget name, which can be quite long and identifies its location in the widget tree)

widget tree
the hierarchical arrangement of widget sums of a SCOadmin manager

hook file
a database file that associates widget sums with text files

help node
a help topic file associated with one or more widget sums

help book
a directory that contains all the help files for a manager
To create context-sensitive help:

  1. Dump the widget sums.

  2. Create a help book and help files.

  3. Create a hook file for the book.

  4. Add the help book to the system.

  5. Test the help book.


NOTE: The procedures described here explain how to connect HTML files to manager windows and window elements. DocView displays these files when the <F1> key is pressed, a Help button is activated, or the Help menu is used. Creating hyperlinked online books (and man pages) like those supplied with SCO OpenServer is not covered here; the tools for building online books are not available at this time.

See also:


Next topic: Dumping the widget sums

© 2003 Caldera International, Inc. All rights reserved.
SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.7 -- 11 February 2003