Providing Help on UNIX
Process similar to Windows
On UNIX you can provide online Help for both users and developers
by using techniques similar to those you use to provide Help on
Windows.
Recommended tool to use
If you need to deliver an online Help system to users as part
of your UNIX application, or if you need to provide a Help file
for other PowerBuilder developers, Sybase recommends HyperHelp from
Bristol Technology as a tool. HyperHelp is a UNIX-based product
that:
- Works with the same
source files that you would process through the Microsoft Windows
Help compiler (which can save you lots of time and effort if you
have an existing Windows Help system to port) - Compiles those source files into the appropriate
binary Help files, which are functionally equivalent to the HLP
files in Windows (WinHelp files) - Provides a viewer that displays those Help files
in a manner similar to what you would see in Windows with WinHelp
If you use HyperHelp, you can then code the PowerScript ShowHelp
function in your application to give UNIX users access to the resulting
Help system. ShowHelp starts the HyperHelp viewer and displays the
Help file and topic you specify.
Getting the HyperHelp components you need
The following table explains how to get the HyperHelp components
you need when implementing Help for users or developers:
| Component | Availability |
|---|---|
| HyperHelp viewer | To distribute the HyperHelp viewer to users along with your applications, you’ll need to buy it from Bristol TechnologyContact Bristol Technology for details |
| For developers, the HyperHelp viewer is bundled into the PowerBuilder for UNIX development environment so they can display Help themselves |
|
| HyperHelp compiler | To compile your own Help files, you’ll need to buy the HyperHelp compiler from Bristol TechnologyContact Bristol Technology for details |
Help for users
For more information on providing Help for
end users, see “Providing online Help
for users “ and the section on the ShowHelp
function in the PowerScript Reference
.
Help for developers
Once created, your Help file and its topics can be displayed
using the standard PowerBuilder developer Help facilities, including:
- The User button within
the PowerBuilder online Help system - Context-sensitive Help for user-defined functions
in the Script view
The way you configure and use these facilities on UNIX is
very similar to the way you use them on Windows. However, there
are some differences in the ways WinHelp and HyperHelp handle certain
Help compiler options and macros. For more information, see the
HyperHelp documentation.
When you use these facilities on UNIX, PowerBuilder automatically
starts the HyperHelp viewer and displays your developer Help file.
(On Windows, PowerBuilder starts WinHelp).
For more information on providing Help for
developers, see “Providing online Help
for developers “.
A collection of techniques you can use to implement
data access features in the applications you develop with PowerBuilder.
Includes using Transaction objects, using DataWindow objects, using
dynamic DataWindow objects, and piping data between data sources.