IRIX 6.5 Applications 1999 May/SGI IRIX 6.5 Applications 1999 May.iso/dist/insight.idb/usr/share/Insight/xhelp/samples/exampleApp/exampleAppXmHelp.sgm.z/exampleAppXmHelp.sgm

Text File | 1998-05-04 | 5KB | 183 lines

<dochelp>

<HelpTopic HelpID="overview">
<Helplabel>Example Motif Application Using SGIHelp</Helplabel>
<Description>
<para>
This application is intended to show the developer how
the <glossterm>SGIHelp</glossterm> system can work for you.
It displays (in the included
sample code, exampleAppXm.c) usage of various widgets, a sample
help menu, full-context-sensitivity, and calls to
the <glossterm>SGIHelp</glossterm> server process via the API.
</para>

<Figure ID="figure_01">
    <title>exampleAppXm Main Window</title>
    <Graphic fileref="mainwnd.gif" format="GIF"></Graphic>
</Figure>

<para>
The application itself is very simple, composed of
a <Link Linkend="ID002">File menu,</Link>
a <Link Linkend="ID003">Help menu,</Link>
a <Link Linkend="ID005">Pushbutton,</Link>
and a <Link Linkend="ID004">Label</Link>.
The user can choose items from the
<Link Linkend="ID003">Help menu</Link> to
contact the <glossterm>SGIHelp</glossterm> server process to
cause different help cards to be rendered.
</para>
<para>To quit the application, use the "Exit" command
found under the <Link Linkend="ID002">File menu</Link>.
</para>
</Description>
</HelpTopic>


<HelpTopic HelpID="file_menu">
<Helplabel><Anchor Id="ID002">The File Menu</Helplabel>
<Description>
<para>The following items (and their functions) are part of
the File menu:</para>
<VariableList>
<VarListEntry>
<term>Exit</term>
<ListItem><para>Used to quit the exampleAppXm application.</para></listitem>
</VarListEntry>
</VariableList>
</Description>
</HelpTopic>


<HelpTopic HelpID="help_menu">
<Helplabel><Anchor Id="ID003">The Help Menu</Helplabel>
<Description>
<para>The following items (and their functions) are part of
the Help menu:</para>
<VariableList>
<VarListEntry>
<term>Click for Help</term>
<ListItem><para>Used to put the application in context sensitive mode.
Will cause the cursor to turn into a "?" at which point the user can
click on any entry in the application's window to obtain help.</para></listitem>
</VarListEntry>
<VarListEntry>
<term>Overview</term>
<ListItem><para>Used to display a help overview card for the current
window.</para></listitem>
</VarListEntry>
<VarListEntry>
<term>Index</term>
<ListItem><para>Used to display from SGIHelp an Index of help topics for
the given application.</para></listitem>
</VarListEntry>
<VarListEntry>
<term>Keys & Shortcuts</term>
<ListItem><para>Used to display a help card that describes any special
key combinations this application uses.</para></listitem>
</VarListEntry>
<VarListEntry>
<term>Product Info</term>
<ListItem><para>Pops up a dialog that displays to the user any version or
copyright information for this application.</para></listitem>
</VarListEntry>
</VariableList>
<para>To access any menu items, click on the menu item
that is a part of the menubar. When the menu pops-up,
highlight the desired item, and release the mouse button.
</para>
</Description>
</HelpTopic>


<HelpTopic HelpID="help_label">
<Helplabel><Anchor Id="ID004">A Label</Helplabel>
<Description>
<para>You have clicked on a Label. It simply displays information
to the user and serves no other useful pourpose.</para>
<tip><para>Basically, a label is useless. For information only.</para></tip>
</Description>
</HelpTopic>


<HelpTopic HelpID="help_button">
<Helplabel><Anchor Id="ID005">A Pushbutton</Helplabel>
<Description>
<para>You have clicked on a Pushbutton. A pushbutton, when
clicked, will activate some type of command within the application.</para>
</Description>
</HelpTopic>


<HelpTopic HelpID="keys">
<Helplabel><Anchor Id="ID006">Keys and Shortcuts</Helplabel>
<Description>
<para>This card displays all known keys and shortcuts for this
application.</para>
<warning><para>This application has no shortcuts.</para></warning>
</Description>
</HelpTopic>


<HelpTopic HelpID="help_task">
<Helplabel><Anchor Id="ID007">A Sample Help Task</Helplabel>
<Description>
<para>
When creating your application and help text, you may wish
to highlight certain common tasks. This help card was
displayed from either a menu item or a pushbutton.
</para>
<para>
To perform such an operation within your code, the
associated callback that contacts the <glossterm>SGIHelp</glossterm> server
can be constructed as shown below.</para>
<Example>
<Title>Sample Help Task Callback</Title>

<para>
The following is a listing derived from a "C" program:
<ProgramListing>
    /* create menu items, pushbuttons, etc. */

    void taskCB()
    {

    /*
     * For the task found in the help menu,
     * we'll use a specific key/book
     * combination.
     */
        SGIHelpMsg("key", "myBook", NULL);
    }
</ProgramListing>
</para>
</Example>
<para>It's relatively simple process to integrate help
into your application. In fact, the <glossterm>SGIHelp</glossterm>
process only requires <emphasis>two</emphasis> function calls.
</para>
</Description>
</HelpTopic>


<Glossary>
<Title>Glossary</Title>

<GlossEntry>
<GlossTerm>SGIHelp</GlossTerm>
<GlossDef>
<para>This is Silicon Graphics, Inc. version of a "Xhelp" compatible
server. Through the use of an available API, and a help text
compiler, books can be constructed that can be used to render
help information for the given application.</para>
</GlossDef>
</GlossEntry>

</Glossary>


</dochelp>