This is a sample help book, written to demonstrate how to add help to your application. The app has two buttons, both of which open the manual, but the 2nd opens the manual so that the Llamas topic is open.
Sample app and help book by Bob Ebert.
Many thanks to the Scott Shwarts and David Dunham for help creating this sample.",
viewFont: s3
};
book.contents[1] := c2;
c3 := {
data: "Help Book Overview",
viewFont: s2,
layout: 32
};
book.contents[2] := c3;
c4 := {
data: "
The help book is organized into two main levels, a \"topics\" level and a \"page\" level. The book always opens to the topics level, and each line in the topics level can either have subtopics or a single page.
Each page is meant to describe a specific topic. The content for a topic cannot be larger than a page, as no scrolling is supported. The only navigation available from a page is to return to the topics.",
viewFont: s3
};
book.contents[3] := c4;
c5 := {
data: "Help Book Usage",
styles: [15, s2, 1, s3],
layout: 32
};
book.contents[4] := c5;
c6 := {
data: "
Help books are intended to provide \"How Do I\" type help to an application. It should list step by step instructions to get a user on the right track.
The main rule for help books is KISS:
Keep It Simple, Stupid
The help book should tells users what they need to know to perform some task with an application, and not much else.
",
styles: [185, s3, 4, s2, 145, s3],
tabs: [18]
};
book.contents[5] := c6;
c7 := {
data: "Things to avoid",
styles: [15, s2, 1, s3],
layout: 32
};
book.contents[6] := c7;
c8 := {
data: "
Help books are not designed to present the entire users manual. (You might consider using a separate electonic book for that.)
Application help books should not describe how to perform system-wide tasks, such as Faxing or Printing. (The System Help Book already describes those.) Only special tasks for your application need to be described.
This help book is a bad example. :-)",
styles: [382, s3, 4, s4]
};
book.contents[7] := c8;
c9 := {
data: "Building a Help Book",
styles: [20, s2, 1, s3],
layout: 32
};
book.contents[8] := c9;
c10 := {
data: "
• Build your book in the word processor.
• Drop the file on Newton BookMaker
• Choose Help Size in the Options menu.
• Click on the \"Do It\" button.
• Save the result.
• Add code to Project Data to read in the book. e.g.,
The interface element you use for accessing help is the protoInfoButton, which is a system prototype included in Newton 2.0.
There is a code sample 'infoButton' which includes a simple protoInfoButton proto, for use for pre-Newton 2.0 machines. It will not do everything that the Newton 2.0 proto does, but it works.",
You should consider using the system font (Espy Sans) for your help book. A bitmap version Espy Sans comes with Newton ToolKit.
Or, just use any font besides New York or Geneva. The Newton BookMaker turns all unknown fonts into Espy Sans. (The source for this paragraph is in Avant Garde!)",
