Displaying Help Text Files
The following statements display a help text file within your application:
helpfile
help_forms
callproc help_field()
Typically, you write 4GL code so that the help file appears in response to a Help menu operation or to a function key such as FRS key 1. Use a text editor to enter the text for the help file.
The helpfile and help_forms statements and the help_field() built-in procedure provide application portability between Ingres environments.
• Use the helpfile statement to restrict access to the information placed in the named file (generally information about the current form). It does not access the Help utility. Use the helpfile statement to present help text if you want to restrict access to validation criteria or control/function key mappings.
• Use the help_forms statement to allow access to all aspects of the Help utility.
• Use the help_field() procedure to allow access to help on a particular field or column through the Field menu item of the help_forms statement. Help_field() displays a pop-up selection list of legal values or a field description.
The following example shows how to display a help file with the help_forms statement:
Windows:
'Help' =
begin
help_forms (subject = 'Personnel frame',
file = c:'\usr\program\pers.hlp');
end;
UNIX:
'Help' =
begin
help_forms (subject = 'Personnel frame',
file = '/usr/program/pers.hlp');
end;
VMS:
'Help' =
begin
help_forms (subject = 'Personnel frame',
file ='dra0:[usr.program]pers.hlp');
end;
If the specified file does not exist, FRS displays the message:
Sorry - cannot open help file on "Personnel frame"
For more information on these options for providing online help, see the sections on each in
4GL Statement Glossary.