Method XbpHelp():showHelp() Foundation

Displays the specified help window of the online help.

Syntax
:showHelp( [<nID> | <cName>] ) --> lSuccess
Parameters
<nID>
OS/2 IPF help: The optional parameter <nID> specifies the numeric ID for a help window. The corresponding help text is identified in the IPF source code using the attribute res= in the heading tag (:h1. to :h6.).
Windows HTML help: Help windows are not identified using a numeric ID. Instead, the name <cName> of an HTML file is used.
Windows RTF help: If a numeric ID is used in the PRG source code, it must be mapped to the symbolic name of the help window as it appears in a #{\footnote } definition in the RTF source file. Mapping of numeric IDs is done in the [MAP] section of the help project file (HPJ file).
<cName>
OS/2 IPF help: <cName> is a character expression that defines a symbolic ID for the help window. A symbolic ID can be specified instead of <nID>. The corresponding help text must be identified in the IPF source code using the attribute id= in the heading tag (:h1. to :h6.).
Windows HTML help: <cName> is the name of the HTML file which contains the text for the help window.
Windows RTF help: <cName> is the symbolic name of a help window as defined in the RTF source code with #{\footnote <cName>}.
Return

This method returns .T. (true) if the specified help window is displayed, otherwise .F. (false) is returned.

Description

The method :showHelp() is used to display the help text with the specified ID or symbolic name in the online help.

IPF-based help (OS/2)

The ID must be defined in the IPF source code heading tag (:h1. to :h6.). The ID can be either a numeric ID (attribute res=) or a symbolic ID (attribute id=). If the help text is identified by a numeric ID, the ID is passed to the :showHelp()method as a numeric value <nID>. If the help text is identified using a symbolic ID <cName>, it is passed as a character string.

If the :showHelp() method is called without an argument, the help window with the title "Using the Help Facility" is displayed. This window can also be displayed by selecting the menu item "Using help Shift+F10" in the help window of the online help.

If a numeric ID which is not defined in the IPF source code is passed to :showHelp(), the ID is ignored. If a non-existent symbolic ID is passed, a message box appears on the screen with text explaining that a link is not possible.

HTML-based help (Windows)

A character string with the name of the HTML file containing the text of a help window must be used as it is listed in the [FILES] section of the project file (HHP file). If the file does not exist, the default window of the online help is displayed by the method :showHelp().

RTF-based help (Windows)

Help windows are identified with the footnote #{\footnote <cName> } in the RTF source code. Therefore, passing a character string containing the symbolic name of a help window to :showHelp() is recommended. If a numeric ID is used, it must be mapped to its symbolic counterpart in the [MAP] section of the help project file (HPJ file).

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