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Format of a Help File

A UIPACK Help File is a normal text file, having default file extension ``.UIH". It can only contain information about a single Verb Group, multiple Help Files being necessary for a complex program using many Verb Groups. The format of a UIPACK Help File is the same as that of a VAX/VMS Help File, discussed in detail in the VMS LIBRARIAN Reference Manual . The file consists of key lines (commencing in column 1) and descriptive lines (which must not contain a number or slash (/) character in column 1). Key lines may be numbered key-1 through key-9, denoting the hierarchy with which Help information may be retrieved. Thus a single Key-1 entry may have several key-2 entries associated with it, each key-2 entry having several key-3 entries etc. Each key-1 entry will normally correspond to a Verb within the Verb Group, the key-2 entries being used to describe any required parameters and optional qualifiers. A line having a slash (/) as the first character is treated as a qualifier line, subsequent descriptive lines referring to the qualifier. The format of a Help file may be seen in the following example (which uses the Verb Group 100 of Appendix D Example 3):-

1 QUIT
  Exits the program

1 SET
  Allows an adjustable Parameter of the Program to be set.

  Format:

    SET <ParameterName>

2 Parameters
  The following Parameters are valid for the SET Command:-

     SET FILENAME
     SET UTILITIES

3 SET FILENAME
  This Command may be used either to setup a new output 
  filename, or to restore the default filename.

  Format:

    SET FILENAME <Filename>

    SET FILENAME/DEFAULT

3 SET UTILITIES
  Enable or Disable some of the standard Utilities. This 
  Command MUST be accompanied by at least one of the
  following Qualifiers:-

  SET UTILITIES/YBOS[=On/Off]   Enable or Disable YBOS

  SET UTILITIES/YHIST[=On/Off]  Enable or Disable YHIST

2 CommandQualifiers
  The SET Command takes no direct Qualifiers, although 
  the Parameter associated with the Command may take some.

1 SHOW
  Shows (displays) the current settings of Program Parameters

  Format:

    SHOW <ParameterName>

2 Parameters
  The following Parameters are valid for the SHOW Command:-

     SHOW FILENAME
     SHOW UTILITIES
     SHOW VERSION

3 SHOW FILENAME
  This Command may be used to display the currently setup 
  Output Filename. This may be set using the SET FILENAME 
  Command.

3 SHOW UTILITIES
  This Command may be used to show which of the standard 
  Utilities is currently Enabled or Disabled. These may be 
  modified using the SET UTILITIES Command.

3 SHOW VERSION
  This Command shows the current Program Version No.

2 CommandQualifiers
  The SHOW Command takes no Qualifiers.


Liz Buckle
Fri Jan 13 17:37:44 CST 1995