Editing Help Text

This section describes the various features of the Help Text editor, as well as how to use the editor to create or edit your help text. It covers the following topics:

Access the Help Text Editor

Start of instruction setTo create or edit a help member

  1. Type "E" in the Function field.

  2. Type the Type component in the Type field.

  3. Type the Major and Minor components in their respective fields.

    To select from a list of Major and Minor components, use the List function (see List Help Text Function).

  4. Type the code for the language in which the help member will be set up in the Language field.

    To select from a list of language codes, use the List function.

  5. Type the name of the default profile you are using in the Profile field.

    To select from a list of default profiles, remove the value from the Profile field and press Enter. The Select Profile window is displayed. This window is described in List Help Text Function.

  6. Press Enter.

    The Help Text editor is displayed.

    The following example shows the Help Text editor when creating a new help member: 

     Header 1 .                                                             Profile
 Header 2 .                                                              SYSTEM
 Hotlink  .                                                                    
 >                                                > + ABS X X-Y _ S 0    L 0
     ....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+...   AD
   >                                                                      <
   |                                                                      |
   |                                                                      |
   |                                                                      |
   |                                                                      |
   |                                                                      |
F/#/CSHMPP/1 does not exist; new member started

    The following example shows the editor when editing a new help member: 

     Header 1 . *0224.1                                                    Profile
 Header 2 . *0222.1                                                    NCSTHEL
 Hotlink  .                                                                   
 >                                                > + ABS X X-Y _ S 71   L 1  
 TOP ....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+...   AD
   > You use this editor to create new help text members or modify        <   
   | existing help text members.                                          |   
   |                                                                      |   
   | Note: Before creating a new member, clear the editor by entering     |   
   |       CLEAR on the command line.                                     |   
   |                                                                      |   
   | Tip:  To create a help text member that is similar to an existing    |   
   |       member, you can read the similar member into the editor and    |   
   |       use it as a starting point for the new member. You can also    |   
   |       use the .IH line command to insert text from another member.   |   
   |                                                                      |   
   | The Header 1, Header 2, and Hotlink fields are protected; to access  |   
   | these fields:                                                        |   
   | 1 Move the cursor over one of these field names                      |   
   | 2 Press Enter (the cursor moves to the Header 1 field)               |   
   > *0210.1                                                              <   
   | <<f/+/header1>>                                                      |   
   | <<f/+/header2>>                                                      |   
P/CS/CSHEDIT0/1 read successfully

    Note:
    For more information, see Use the Help Text Editor.

Use the Help Text Editor

This section describes how to use the Help Text editor. The following topics are covered:

Fields in the Help Text Editor

The following example shows the Help Text editor when creating a new help member: 

  Header 1 .                                                             Profile
  Header 2 .                                                              SYSTEM
  Hotlink  .                                                                    
  >                                                > + ABS X X-Y _ S 0    L 0   
      ....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+...   AD 
    >                                                                      <    
    |                                                                      |    
    |                                                                      |    
    |                                                                      |    
    |                                                                      |    
    |                                                                      |    
 F/#/CSHMPP/1 does not exist; new member started

The first three fields (Header 1, Header 2, and Hotlink) are protected. To enter a value, move the cursor to any of these fields and press Enter.

The fields in the Help Text editor are:

Field Description
Header 1 First heading for the help window. This heading is centered at the top of the window and intensified (bolded).

You can either type the header name or use message numbers. Message numbers are linked to text strings. At runtime, the message number is replaced with its associated text.

If you are using message numbers, ensure that the library containing your messages is specified on the Maintain Default Profiles panel. The system uses this value to locate and retrieve message text.

Use the following format for message numbers: 

*NNNN.A

where:

  • * is a variable that is replaced by the library name defined in your help profile at runtime

  • NNNN is the message number in the message file

  • .A is the sequential position of text within the message number (each message number can contain up to 15 separate text positions)

Header 2 Second heading for the help window. This heading is centered below the first heading and intensified.

You can either type the second heading or use message numbers. The second header should be descriptive, as this value is used as the description for the help member in several selection windows.

Hotlink Name that identifies this help member when it appears as a hotlink in a help window. You can either type a value in this field or use message numbers.

Note:
If you do not enter a value in this field, the hotlink name defaults to the Header 2 field value. If both fields are blank, the hotlink name defaults to the Header 1 field value.

Profile Name of the help profile (for example, NCSTHELP) for the current help member. The profile name is displayed below the Profile field heading.

You can modify the help profile for the current help member through the Maintain Current Profile panel. To access this panel, either enter HPROF on the command line or place your cursor on the profile name and press Enter.

> (command line) Command line; enter edit commands on this line. The command line is located below the Hotlink field and is identified by an angle bracket (>).
+ or - (direction indicators) Indicate a forward (top-to-bottom) or backward (bottom-to-top) direction. This field is displayed to the left of the ABS field. By default, a plus sign (+), meaning forward, is displayed in this field. To indicate a backward direction, enter a minus sign (-) in this field.

The MOVE, COPY, and INSERT line commands use the direction indicator to determine whether to place lines before or after the line command.

Some edit commands also use the direction indicator. For example, the ADD edit command with a + indicator adds lines after the line command and with a - indicator adds lines before the line command. The SCAN edit command uses this indicator to determine the scan direction.

ABS (Absolute) Used in conjunction with the SCAN and CHANGE edit commands. If this field is selected, Natural Construct scans for or changes all occurrences of the specified characters, including those embedded within words. If you enter a blank in this field, the system scans for or changes the specified characters only if they are a separate entity (delimited by blanks or special characters). By default, this field is selected.
X-Y If this field is marked, SCAN and CHANGE edit commands are confined to the text within the X-Y delimiter range. Text outside the X-Y range is not affected.
S Total number of text lines in the help member.
L Number of the first line of text displayed in the editor (in relation to the entire help member). For example, if you scroll down so that the fifth line of text is displayed at the top of the text window, 5 is displayed in this field.

Notes:

  1. For information about multilingual support, see Provide Multilingual Support.
  2. For information about message numbers, see Use Message Numbers.
  3. For information about the message library, see Maintain Default Profiles Function.
  4. For information about creating hotlinks for help members, see Add Hotlinks.
  5. For information about line commands, see Line Commands.
  6. For information about edit commands, see Edit Commands.
  7. For information about modifying the profile for a previously saved help member, see Change the Current Help Profile.

Features of the Help Text Editor

This section describes the features of the Help Text editor. The following topics are covered:

Ruler

The ruler is located above the text area in the Help Text editor. The columns (character widths) are marked; each number on the ruler represents 10 columns. For example: 

Header 1 .                                                             Profile
Header 2 .                                                            NCSTHELP
Hotlink  .                                                                    
>                                                > + ABS X X-Y _ S 26   L 1   
 TOP ....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+... V ...+....6....+...   AD
  > Help text is displayed when...                                       <

The arrow (V) pointing downward delimits the end of the line. Any text that extends beyond the delimiter is not displayed in the help window. The position of the arrow is determined by the value in the Width field for the specified help profile.

When text is displayed in the text area, one of the following values may be displayed to the left of the ruler:

Value Description
All Indicates that all of the help member is displayed.
Top Indicates that the beginning (top) of the help member is displayed.
Bot Indicates that the end (bottom) of the help member is displayed.

Notes:

  1. For information about the current help profile, see Change the Current Help Profile.
  2. For information about scrolling through text, see Scroll in the Text Area.

Left Column

The display-only column to the left of the text area displays values applied to individual lines. For example: 

Header 1 .                                                             Profile
Header 2 .                                                            NCSTHELP
Hotlink  .                                                                    
>                                                > + ABS X X-Y _ S 26   L 1   
TOP ....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+... V ...+....6....+...   AD 
  > Help text is displayed when...                                       <    
  |                                                                      |    
X |                                                                      |    
  |                                                                      |    
  |                                                                      |    
  |                                                                      |    
Y |                                                                      |    
  |                                                                      |    
  |                                                                      |

These values are used in conjunction with edit and line commands (described in Edit Commands and Line Commands).

The left column may contain any of the following values:

Value Description
.X Marks a line or the beginning of a block of text on which to perform an action. After you enter this command, the system inserts an X in the column next to the line.
.Y Marks a line or the end of a block of text on which to perform an action. After you enter this command, the system inserts a Y in the column next to the line.
.L Indicates that there is more text than can be displayed on a line. This occurs when you join two lines of text using the .J line command and the resulting line is too long to fit in the text area. You cannot modify the line until you use the .S command to split the line.

Text Area

The body of the Help Text editor contains the text area, which has borders on the left and right. For example: 

 Header 1 . *0224.1                                                     Profile
 Header 2 . *0222.1                                                    NCSTHEL
 Hotlink ..                                                                   
 >                                                > + ABS X X-Y _ S 71   L 1  
 TOP ....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+...   AD
   > Use this editor to create new help text members or modify existing   <   
   | help text members.                                                   |   
   |                                                                      |   
   | Note: Before creating a new member, clear the editor by entering     |   
   |       CLEAR on the command line.                                     |   
   |                                                                      |   
   | Tip:  To create a help text member that is similar to an existing    |   
   |       member, you can read the similar member into the editor and    |   
   |       use it as a starting point for the new member. You can also    |   
   |       use the .IH line command to insert text from another member.   |   
   |                                                                      |   
   | The Header 1, Header 2, and Hotlink fields are protected; to access  |   
   | these fields:                                                        |   
   | 1 Move the cursor over one of these field names                      |   
   | 2 Press Enter (the cursor moves to the Header 1 field)               |   
   > *0210.1                                                              <   
   | <<f/+/header1>>                                                      |   
   | <<f/+/header2>>                                                      |   
P/CS/CSHEDIT0/1 read successfully
Scroll in the Text Area

If the help member cannot be displayed in its entirety, you can scroll through the text area using any of the following methods:

Method Action
Scroll forward or backward nnnn lines. Enter "+nnnn" or "-nnnn" on the command line.
Scroll forward or backward half a panel. Enter "+H" or "-H" on the command line.
Scroll forward or backward one panel. Enter "+P" or "-P" on the command line.
Scroll forward one panel (when the text has not changed). Press Enter.
Scroll forward to the end of the help member. Enter "BOT", "B", or "++" on the command line.
Make the line on which the .N line command is entered scroll to the top of the current panel. Enter "POINT" on the command line.
Scroll backward to the top of the panel. Enter "TOP", "T", or "–" on the command line.
Scroll to the line marked X or Y. Enter "X" or "Y" on the command line.
Scroll to line 10(n). Enter "n" on the command line.
Features of the Text Area

The text area has the following features:

Feature Description
Left/right borders Left/right perimeter of the text area. Borders are columns one character wide to the left and right of the area in which you can type text. When you use the Tab key to move the cursor in the text area, the cursor moves to the first character position in which you can type text. Press the Tab key again and the cursor moves to the Attribute column. Press it again and it moves to the first position on the next line in which you can type text.
Page markers Arrows (> and <) displayed within the borders indicate the first line of each new page. The number of lines on a page of help text is determined by the help profile.

To force a new page, type "P" in the Attribute column.

Note:
If you force a page break, the page markers do not immediately reflect the new page break position.

Text intensifiers Dynamic attribute characters that identify text for bolding. When a user displays help, text marked with intensifiers appears as bolded text. To intensify a block of text on a single line, place a left angle bracket (<) at the beginning of the text block and a right angle bracket (>) at the end of the block. The intensifier characters cannot be seen when the help text is displayed; they are replaced with blank spaces. For example, if you enter the following text in the editor: 
You may<intensify any phrase>you want

The text "intensify any phrase" is displayed in bold.

To use a default intensify character within the text in your help window, do one of the following:

  • Change the default intensify character in your current help profile.

  • Type the default intensify character in the AD column on the line where you want to use the intensify character as text. This returns both characters to their regular keyboard symbol for a single line.

Hotlink identifiers Dynamic attribute characters that identify hotlinks in your help member and indicate that a hotlink is available in a help window.

Notes:

  1. For information about changing the help profile, see Change the Current Help Profile.
  2. For information about using hotlinks, see Add Hotlinks.

AD Column

The column to the right of the text area is the attribute (AD) column. You can type attribute codes in this column that apply to the line they mark. You can use the attribute codes together, in any order, and type them in upper or lower case.

The following table lists the attribute codes:

Code Description
I Character that intensifies a line of text. For example: 
Intensify this line.                              |I

You can use this character in conjunction with dynamic attribute characters. In this case, the "I" reverses the effect of the dynamic attribute intensification characters; the text between the single angle brackets (< >) is not intensified, while the text outside the brackets is intensified.

You can also use the "I" to reverse the intensification of a hotlink displayed in the help window so that the hotlink is not bolded and all remaining text is bolded.

P Character that forces a page break at the line it marks. That line begins a new page when the help text is displayed.
Text intensification characters (< >) Characters that allow you to use the intensification characters as regular text on the adjacent line. To use the intensification characters as regular text, type either of these characters in the AD column.

Order of Command Execution

The Help Text editor executes commands in the following order:

  1. Modifications to text.

  2. Line commands.

    Line commands are entered in the text area of the editor and are preceded by a period (.). For information, see Line Commands.

  3. Edit commands.

    Edit commands are entered on the command line. For information, see Edit Commands.

Edit Commands

Edit commands are entered on the command line in the Help Text editor. These commands allow you to perform a variety of functions while remaining in the editor. For some edit commands, you must specify the Type, Major, Minor, and Language components. This combination of components uniquely identifies a help member.

The following table describes the edit commands. The Shortcut column indicates the minimum characters required to execute the command (not all commands have a shortcut). Any part of a command within brace brackets ({ }) is optional.

Command Shortcut Description
ADD A Adds nine blank lines to the end of the help member. After you finish typing text in the text area and pressing Enter, any unused lines are removed.
CHANGE CH Scans for text in the edit buffer and replaces it. The syntax is: 
CHANGE 'scanvalue'replacevalue'

Any special character may be used as a delimiter, provided the same character is not used within the command and it is not an X-Y delimiter.

Note:
The CHANGE command performs changes to the entire edit buffer.

CLEAR C Clears the contents of the edit buffer. Any unsaved modifications are lost.
DX   Deletes the line marked X.
DY   Deletes the line marked Y.
DX-Y   Deletes the line marked X, the line marked Y, and all lines between the X-Y delimiters.
END E Ends the current edit session and displays the Help Text main menu.
EX   Deletes all lines before the X delimiter.
EY   Deletes all lines after the Y delimiter.
EX-Y   Deletes all the lines before the X delimiter and after the Y delimiter.
HPROF HP Invokes the Maintain Current Editor Profile panel.
LET   Restores lines to their previous state, should you inadvertently change them. You must issue this command before pressing Enter.

Note:
The LET command is similar to the .L line command, but it applies to the entire help member.

LISTH {type{major{minor{language}}}} LH Displays the help text components for selection. After you select a help member, it is read into the editor.
Warning:
If a help member is currently displayed, it will be cleared and any unsaved changes will be lost.
POINT   Scrolls the selected line to the top of the editor. Select a line by entering .N at the beginning of the line in the editor.
PROFILE   For mainframe users, invokes a panel on which you can modify PF-key settings and autosave specifications for the duration of the edit session.
PURGEH {type{major{minor{language}}}} PH Purges the specified help member.

After entering this command, you are prompted to confirm the purge. Do one of the following:

  • To confirm the purge, press Enter.

  • To cancel the purge, type any value on the command line and press Enter.

QUIT Q Ends the current edit session and displays the Help Text main menu. Modifications to the help member are not saved.
READH {type{major{minor{language}}}}   Reads the specified help member into the editor. If the Type, Major, Minor, and Language components are not specified, they default to the last values used.
REPLACEH {type{major{minor{language}}}} RH Replaces the specified help member with the contents of the editor. If the Type, Major, Minor, and Language components are not specified, they default to the last values used.

Note:
This command replaces the help member without displaying a confirmation window.

RESET RES Clears the X-Y delimiters.
SAVEH {type {major{minor {language}}}}   Saves the specified help member. If the Type, Major, Minor, and Language components are not specified, they default to the last values used.

Help members must be saved with a valid profile name.

  • If the specified help member already exists and has a different profile name, confirm the save by pressing Enter.

  • If the profile name is blank or the specified profile does not exist, the Select Help Profile window is displayed.

SCAN SC Scans for data in the text area as follows: 
  • SCAN 'scanvalue'

    Scans for text within the delimiters (' ').

    Note:
    Delimiters must be used when the scan value begins with a non-alphanumeric character. 

  • SCAN scan value

    Scans for the entire text value after the keyword SCAN, including spaces.

The direction indicator affects the scan as follows:

  • If the direction indicator is forward (+), the scan begins on the first line displayed at the top of the panel and continues to the end of text.

  • If the direction indicator is backward (-), the scan begins on the last line on the panel and continues to the beginning of text.

You can use the X-Y delimiters to limit the range of the scan and select a range of text. To use X-Y delimiters, mark the X-Y field at the top of the Help Text editor.

SHIFT SH Shifts the text between the X-Y delimiters as follows: 
  • SHIFT +nn

    Shifts the text to the right nn spaces. 

  • SHIFT -nn

    Shifts the text to the left nn spaces.

The default value is +3.

TEST   Displays the help member as it will appear in a help window. The TEST command is similar to the Test function on the Help Text main menu.

Notes:

  1. For information about changing the current help profile, see Change the Current Help Profile
  2. For information about the help text components, see List Help Text Function.
  3. For information about modifying the profile, see Modify Current PF-Key Profile (Mainframe).
  4. For information about using X-Y delimiters, see Fields in the Help Text Editor.
  5. For information about the Test function, see Test Help Text Function.
  6. For information about modifying the profile for a previously saved help member, see Change the Current Help Profile.

Line Commands

Line commands are entered in the text area of the Help Text editor and are used to modify text that is currently in the edit buffer. These commands allow you to copy, move, and delete the lines of text. Line commands must:

  • Be typed in the text area

  • Begin with a period (.)

  • Start in the first column of a line (use the Tab key to place the cursor in the first column of a line)

Start of instruction setTo execute a line command

  1. Press Enter.

    Note:
    Except for .L, you must press Enter before executing a line command. Pressing Enter updates text changes to the edit buffer.

  2. Type the line command.

  3. Press Enter.

    • If the direction indicator is forward (+), copied, inserted, or moved text is placed below the line on which the command was entered.

    • If the direction indicator is backward (-), copied, inserted, or moved text is placed above the line on which the command was entered.

The following table describes the line commands:

Command Description
.C(nn) Copies the same line nn times. The default is 1 time.
.CX(nn) Copies the line marked X nn times. The default is 1 time.
.CY(nn) Copies the line marked Y nn times. The default is 1 time.
.CX-Y(nn) Copies the block marked X-Y nn times. The default is 1 time.
.D(nn) Deletes nn lines. The default is 1 line.
.I(nn) or > Inserts nn lines. The default is 9 lines.
.IH(type, major, minor, language) Inserts the specified help member in the editor, beginning on the line following the one on which the command is entered. Use upper case for the component names.
.J Joins the next line of text to the end of the current line.
.L Restores the line to its previous state. To restore a line, you must issue the command before pressing Enter.

Note:
The .L command is similar to the LET edit command, but it applies to one line only.

.MX Moves the line marked X as follows:

  • If the direction indicator is +, moves the line marked X to the line following the one on which .MX is entered.

  • If the direction indicator is -, moves the line marked X to the line above the one on which .MX is entered.

.MY Moves the line marked Y as follows:

  • If the direction indicator is +, moves the line marked Y to the line following the one on which .MY is entered.

  • If the direction indicator is -, moves the line marked Y to the line above the one on which .MY is entered.

.MX-Y Moves the block of text between the X-Y markers as follows:

  • If the direction indicator is +, moves the block to the line following the one on which .MX-Y is entered.

  • If the indicator is -, moves the block to the line above the one on which .MX-Y is entered.

.N Scrolls the current line to the top of the panel. This command is used with the POINT edit command. The line marked with .N will be scrolled to the top of the panel when the POINT edit command is issued.

Tip:
For a quicker alternative to this scrolling method, use the .P command.

.P Scrolls the current line to the top of the panel.
.S Splits the current line at the cursor position. To split the line:

  1. Type ".S" at the beginning of the line you want to split.

  2. Move the cursor to the position on the line where the split is to occur.

  3. Press Enter.
.W(nn) Inserts nn blank lines in the editor. The default is 9 lines. Any unused lines are deleted.
.X Marks a single line or the beginning of a block of text. To delimit a text block:

  1. Type ".X" at the beginning of the first line you want to copy, insert, or move.

  2. Type ".Y" at the beginning of the last line you want to copy, insert, or move.

    You can mark two or more lines of text using the X-Y markers.

  3. Type the line command.

  4. Press Enter.

To clear the X-Y delimiters:

  1. Type "RESET" on the editor command line.

  2. Press Enter.
.Y Marks a single line or the end of a block of text.

Note:
For more information, see the .X line command.

Modify Current PF-Key Profile (Mainframe)

You can modify the PF-key profile for your current edit session. The changes do not affect your edit profile outside of Natural Construct.

Note:
The PF-key settings used by the Natural Construct editors are determined in the same manner as those used by other Natural editors. If you have a profile that corresponds to your user ID, Natural Construct automatically uses these defaults.

Start of instruction setTo modify the PF-key profile for the current session

  1. Type "PROFILE" on the command line in the Help Text editor.

  2. Press Enter.

    The Maintain Current PF-Key Profile panel is displayed. For example: 

        CS-PROF                   Natural Construct                   CS-PRFM0   
    Aug 22             Maintain Current PF-Key Profile              1 of 1   
                                                                             
     PF1 =  -______________ PF2 =  T______________ PF3 =  B______________    
     PF4 =  -H_____________ PF5 =  +H_____________ PF6 =  +P_____________    
     PF7 =  N______________ PF8 =  _______________ PF9 =  Q______________    
     PF10=  _______________ PF11=  _______________ PF12=  _______________    
     PF13=  _______________ PF14=  _______________ PF15=  _______________    
     PF16=  _______________ PF17=  _______________ PF18=  _______________    
     PF19=  _______________ PF20=  _______________ PF21=  _______________    
     PF22=  _______________ PF23=  _______________ PF24=  _______________    
     PA1 =  _______________ PA2 =  SCAN___________ PA3 =  _______________    
                                                                             
    Auto save numbers ............      In member .......... EDITWORK        
   Enter-PF1---PF2---PF3---PF4---PF5---PF6---PF7---PF8---PF9---PF10--PF11-   
         help  retrn                                                         
   Changes DO NOT affect your edit profile outside Construct

    You can use this panel to perform the following tasks for the current edit session:

    Task Procedure
    Change the value assigned to an existing PF-key. Type the new value over the current value for the key.
    Define a value for a new PF-key. Type the value in the field corresponding to the new PF-key.
    Specify the number of updates to allow before your work is automatically saved. Type the number of updates in Auto save numbers. If this field is blank, Natural Construct does not automatically save work.

    Note:
    For information on recovering your work, see Recover Edits (Mainframe).

    Provide the name of the recovery member in which your work saved. Type over the default name displayed in In member. If you lose your code or forget to save it, you can restore from the last automatic save. By default, EDITWORK is displayed in this field.

    Tip:
    Save your work using a unique recovery member name, such as your user ID, so that your work is not overwritten by another user using the same recovery member name in the same library.

  3. Modify the profile settings.

  4. Press PF2 to return to the Help Text editor.

    Your changes apply for the current edit session only.

Recover Edits (Mainframe)

If you specify a number in the Auto save numbers field on the Maintain Current PF-Key Profile panel, the editor automatically saves work in the edit buffer after the specified number of updates. If you lose your code or forget to save it, you can restore from the last automatic save.

Note:
If the Auto save numbers field is blank, no automatic saving occurs.

Start of instruction setTo restore code from the last save

  1. Invoke the Help Text editor.

  2. Read your recovery member into the edit buffer (EDITWORK, by default).

  3. Re-type the Header 1, Header 2, and Hotlink values in the appropriate fields.

    These values are not saved in the recovery member.

    Note:
    For information about these fields, see Fields in the Help Text Editor.

  4. Save the recovered code.

Change the Current Help Profile

You can override the default help profile settings for the current help member. Changes are saved with the current help member only and override any settings specified on the default help profile for the member.

Start of instruction setTo change the help profile for the current help member

  1. Type "HPROF" on the command line in the Help Text editor.

  2. Press Enter.

    The Maintain Current Editor Profile panel is displayed. For example: 

    CSHPROF            N a t u r a l   C o n s t r u c t                    CSHPROF0
Aug 22              Maintain Current Editor Profile                       1 of 1
                                                                                
  Profile ............................. NCSTHELP                                
  New profile ......................... ________ *                              
  Description ......................... Default CST341 Help Text profile        
  Lines per page ...................... _15                                     
  Message library ..................... CSTLDA__                                
  Window Settings                                                               
  Top left ............ Line .......... __1                                     
                        Column......... __3                                     
                        %W setting .... ____                                    
  Size ................ Width ......... _80                                     
                        Height ........ ___                                     
                        Frame ......... X                                       
  Dynamic Attributes                                                            
  Hotlink begin ....................... <<__     
  Hotlink end ......................... >>__ 
  Intensify ........................... < 
  Default return ...................... > 
                                                                                
 Enter-PF1---PF2---PF3---PF4---PF5---PF6---PF7---PF8---PF9---PF10--PF11--PF12---
       help  retrn

    You can use this panel to perform the following tasks for the current help profile:

    Task Procedure
    Change the name of the help profile used for the current help member. Type the name of the profile in New profile. The name of the default help profile for the current help member is displayed in Profile (NCSTHELP in this example).
    Change the number of lines available for help text. Type over the number displayed in Lines per page. The default number of lines on each page of help text is 15. In addition to the lines that make up the body of the help member, each help window contains up to two header lines, an input line (that displays the Page fields), and two PF-key lines.
    Use a different library to store message numbers and text for the current help member. Type over the name displayed in Message library. Natural Construct uses this name to locate the library in which message numbers and their associated text are stored. This field is required if you are using message numbers in the Header 1, Header 2, and Hotlink fields, as well as in the body of the help member.

    This field defaults to the CSTLDA library, which contains messages for Natural Construct help members. You can create a custom message library to store help members for your generated applications.

    Modify the window settings. Type over or specify the following window settings:

    • Window position

      The window position is determined by the top left corner of the help window or by one of the %W commands. Specify one of the following options:

      • Top left

        Type the number of lines from the top of the panel to the upper edge of the window in Line and type the number of columns from the left side of the panel to the left edge of the window in Column. The top left corner of the window is defined by these values. For example, if you type "5" in Line and "10" in Column, the top left corner of the window will begin 5 lines from the top and 10 columns from the left.

      • %W setting

        Type one of the %W commands in %W setting. For example, to use the %WB command (to size the help window to the actual size of your screen), type "B".

        Note:
        If you specify a value for %W setting, you cannot specify a value for the Line and Column fields.

    • Window size

      The size of the window is determined by the width and height values:

      • Type the width of the help window in Width. The recommended width is 80 characters.

      • Type the height of the help window in Height.

        Note:
        If you leave this field blank, the height is determined automatically when the help text is displayed based on the number of lines specified in this field and the number of headings specified for the help member.

    • Window frame

      By default, Frame is marked and the help window will be displayed with a frame (border). To display the window without a frame, remove the "X" in Frame.

    Change the dynamic attribute characters. Type over or specify the following dynamic attribute values. The character(s) must be unique:

    • Character(s) that indicates the beginning of a hotlink in Hotlink begin. The default characters are double left angle brackets (<<).

    • Character(s) that indicates the end of a hotlink in Hotlink end. The default characters are double right angle brackets (>>).

    • Character that identifies the beginning of intensified text in Intensify. All text between this character and the character specified in the Default return field is intensified. You can use these attributes for one or more characters on a single line.

    • Character that identifies the end of intensified text in Default return. Text after this character uses the default settings.

    Note:
    The Intensify and Default return fields default to the values specified for the global intensification characters on the Natural Construct Control record. To change the global values, see your Natural Construct administrator.

  3. Modify the profile settings.

  4. Press PF2 to return to the Help Text editor.

    Your changes apply to the help profile settings for the current help member.

Notes:

  1. You cannot create or modify a default help profile on this panel. To add or modify a default profile, see Maintain Default Profiles Function.
  2. For information about the %W commands, refer to Window Processing in the Natural Command Reference documentation.
  3. For information about dynamic attributes, see Text Area.
  4. For information about hotlinks, see Add Hotlinks.

Enable Passive Help

The CD-HELPR module provides passive help for generated modules at the panel (map) level and at the field level. If CD-HELPR is enabled, a user can place the cursor on a panel or field, select help, and display a window containing help information for the panel or field. CD-HELPR acts as a link between a panel or field and its corresponding help member. When a user requests help on a panel or field, the panel or field name is passed to CD-HELPR, which determines which help member to display.

Note:
If necessary, you can override CD-HELPR's internal logic and specify the help member directly (for information, see Override the Internal Logic for CD-HELPR).

To enable passive help, the Help parameter for a panel (map) or the HE parameter for a field must be defined with 'CD-HELPR',=. For example: 

 18:45:34               Define Map Settings for MAP                   2013-10-21
                                                                                
  Delimiters           Format                         Context                   
  -----------------    ---------------------------    --------------------------
  Cls Att CD  Del      Page Size ...... 44            Device Check .... ________
   T   D      BLANK    Line Size ...... 133           WRITE Statement   _       
   T   I      ?        Column Shift ... 0 (0/1)       INPUT Statement   X       
   A   D      _        Layout ......... CSCMODM1      Help  'CD-HELPR',=________
   A   I      )         dynamic ....... N (Y/N)        as field default N (Y/N) 
   A   N      ^        Zero Print ..... N (Y/N)                                 
   M   D      &        Case Default ... LC (UC/LC)                              
   M   I      :        Manual Skip .... N (Y/N)       Automatic Rule Rank  1    
   O   D      +        Decimal Char ... .             Profile Name .... RDNSS   
   O   I      (        Standard Keys .. Y (Y/N)                                 
                       Justification .. L (L/R)       Filler Characters         
                       Print Mode ..... __            ------------------------  
                                                      Optional, Partial .... _  
                       Control Var .... ________      Required, Partial .... _  
                                                      Optional, Complete ... _  
                                                      Required, Complete ... _  
                                                                                
 Enter-PF1---PF2---PF3---PF4---PF5---PF6---PF7---PF8---PF9---PF10--PF11--PF12---
       Help        Exit                                                  Let

Start of instruction setTo enable passive help using CD-HELPR's internal logic

  1. Type the following entry in the HE (Help) field for the panel or field definition: 

    'CD-HELPR',=

    When the user requests help, the panel or field name is passed to CD-HELPR, which determines the help member to display.

  2. Create a help member for each panel and field that is to have passive help.

    For information, see Create Help Text.

When typing the first three component names, adhere to the following naming guidelines so CD-HELPR can locate and display the correct help member:

  • If the name passed to CD-HELPR contains a period (.), the name is assumed to be that of a database field. The Type component is "D", the Major component is the value preceding the period (file name), and the Minor component is the value following the period (field name). Ensure that database fields are fully qualified.

    • If a help member cannot be found, CD-HELPR checks for a # or + character in the first position following the period. If neither character is found, the name is assumed to be a global or local variable. The Type component is "F", Major component is the first character (either # or +), and Minor component is the remaining characters following the period.

    • If a help member still cannot be found, CD-HELPR assumes that the name is a database field and attempts to find a Predict extended description. The Type component is "D", Major component is the value preceding the period, and Minor component is the value following the period. If a Predict description exists, it is displayed. For information, see Predict Field Description Help for Objects in Natural Construct Generation.

  • If the name begins with a # or + character, the name is assumed to be that of a global or local variable. The Type component is "F", Major component is the first character of the passed name (either # or +), and Minor component is the remaining characters.

  • If the name is 8 characters or less, the name is assumed to be that of a map or program. The Type component is "P", the first two characters of the name are assumed to represent a system name and are the Major component, and the entire passed name is the Minor component.

    Note:
    This method can only be used if program names are unique across your installation.

  • If the name passed to CD-HELPR is none of the above, no help member is displayed.

The following table shows examples of which help member CD-HELPR will display based on the name of the panel or field:

Panel or Field Name Type Component Major Component Minor Component
EMPLOYEES.SEX D EMPLOYEES SEX
#ACTION F # ACTION
+PERSONNEL-ID F + PERSONNEL-ID
GLMAIN P GL GLMAIN
DIRECT-COMMAND Invalid    
MAINMAP P MA MAINMAP
SYSCSTDE MAINMENU Invalid    

Override the Internal Logic for CD-HELPR

In some cases, you may want to override CD-HELPR's internal logic and specify which help member is displayed for a particular panel or field. For example, suppose you have two programs containing a Customer Number field with identical properties. Because the fields are identical, you want the same help member to be displayed for both fields. However, the field name in one program is #CUSTOMER-NUM and in the other is #CUSTOMER-NUMBER. The system will attempt to locate a unique help member for each field. To solve this problem, you can override CD-HELPR's internal logic and specify which help member is displayed when help is requested. For example:

  • When help is requested for the #CUSTOMER-NUM field, CD-HELPR displays the F/#/CUSTOMER-NUM help member.

  • When help is requested for the #CUSTOMER-NUMBER field, override CD-HELPR and display the F/#/CUSTOMER-NUM help member.

Start of instruction setTo override CD-HELPR's internal logic

  1. Type the following entry in the HE (Help) field on the panel or field definition: 

    'CD-HELPR',#HPARM

    where #HPARM is a program variable.

  2. Set up #HPARM as a non-display protected field on the map with a format of A65.

    Tip:
    To set up #HPARM so that it occupies only one field, use AL=1.

  3. Initialize the #HPARM variable so it is formatted as follows: 

    F#...(blanks to 32nd position).CUSTOMER-NUM...(blanks to 65th position)

    You must add blanks when initializing #HPARM, otherwise CD-HELPR cannot locate the help member. When a user requests help for the #CUSTOMER-NUMBER field, the #HPARM variable is passed to CD-HELPR (F/#/CUSTOMER-NUM).

If necessary, you can set up additional variables to override CD-HELPR. To perform an additional override, complete steps 1 to 3, replacing #HPARM with a unique variable name.