.HLP files in OPL

[David Sumbler]

Could someone point me to information about writing .HLP files for
EPOC (sepcifically Psion 5mx), and any tips about using them in an OPL
program?

.HLP files appear to be .DAT files with the extension changed, but the
"body" section, which is type "memo", is not the last label. So far I
have been unable to modify any existing file or create a new one.

David

[unknown]

Post by David Sumbler
Could someone point me to information about writing .HLP files for
EPOC (sepcifically Psion 5mx), and any tips about using them in an OPL
program?
.HLP files appear to be .DAT files with the extension changed, but the
"body" section, which is type "memo", is not the last label. So far I
have been unable to modify any existing file or create a new one.
David

I don't remember the details of the top of my head (no doubt with this hint
you can find them elsewhere) but there's a route from a template used in M$
Word to write the help text, via a Symbian translation tool ("aleppo"), to
either or both an HTML version and the standard help data file. Then there's
a prescription for calling the Data application and giving it the name of
the Help data file.

Cheers, Mike.

[Phil Aypee]

Hi,

Post by David Sumbler
Could someone point me to information about writing .HLP files for
EPOC (specifically Psion 5mx), and any tips about using them in an OPL
program?

David, in OPL 32, help files *are* data files with the extension
HLP. To prove this to yourself, copy a help file to the root (or
wherever) and delete the extension. It will magically become a
data file.

Take care,
Phil.

"Sleep quicker,
we need the beds."

http://www.philaypee.co.uk

[David Sumbler]

Post by Phil Aypee

Post by David Sumbler
Could someone point me to information about writing .HLP files for
EPOC (specifically Psion 5mx), and any tips about using them in an OPL
program?

David, in OPL 32, help files *are* data files with the extension
HLP. To prove this to yourself, copy a help file to the root (or
wherever) and delete the extension. It will magically become a
data file.

Yes, I have now discovered that. It doesn't seem to be possible to
create one from scratch with the same labels, though, because Data
will only allow a "memo" to be the last field: in the HLP files it is
the second of four. But it is possible to edit an existing one.

Any ideas on how to display the help in an OPL program?

David

[gerhard]

Post by David Sumbler
Any ideas on how to display the help in an OPL program?
David

years ago, I used this :
(worked fine for me)
Hth, Gerhard


PROC Help:
LOCAL HelpFile$(KMaxStringLen%)
LOCAL i%
Helpfile$= EG_Path$+EK_ProgName$+".hlp"

rem Help is running ???
IF EG_HelpThreadID&<>0
ONERR Notopen::
rem Help to ForeGround
SetForegroundByThread&:(EG_HelpThreadID&,0)
ELSE
Notopen::
ONERR OFF
rem Starts HelpAPP
EG_HelpThreadID&=RunApp&:("Data",Helpfile$,"",0)
rem Pause for Sendkey...
Pause 2
rem send STRG+SHIFT+S to HelpAPP
SendKeyEventToApp&:(EG_HelpThreadID&,0,ASC(_RES(Help_ShortCut_Quickfind))-64,0,KModifierCtrl&+KModifierShift&,0)
ENDIF

rem Send HelpItem$ to HelpAPP
IF EG_HelpItem$ <> ""
i%= 1
rem send ESC to HelpAPP *
SendKeyEventToApp&:(EG_HelpThreadID&,0,KKeyEsc%,16,0,0)
rem now we send HelpItem
WHILE i% <= LEN(EG_HelpItem$)
SendKeyEventToApp&:(EG_HelpThreadID&,0,ASC(MID$(EG_HelpItem$,i%,1)),0,0,0)
i% ++
ENDWH
rem Pause for Sendkey... */
Pause -10
rem send ENTER to HelpAPP*/
SendKeyEventToApp&:(EG_HelpThreadID&,0,KKeyEnter%,16,0,0)
ENDIF
ENDP

[Graham Holden]

Post by David Sumbler

Post by Phil Aypee

Post by David Sumbler
Could someone point me to information about writing .HLP files for
EPOC (specifically Psion 5mx), and any tips about using them in an OPL
program?

David, in OPL 32, help files *are* data files with the extension
HLP. To prove this to yourself, copy a help file to the root (or
wherever) and delete the extension. It will magically become a
data file.

Yes, I have now discovered that. It doesn't seem to be possible to
create one from scratch with the same labels, though, because Data
will only allow a "memo" to be the last field: in the HLP files it is
the second of four. But it is possible to edit an existing one.
Any ideas on how to display the help in an OPL program?
David

You can _launch_ a help-file from OPL with the following:

Include "system.oxh"
...
RunApp&:( "Data", "C:\myhelp.hlp", "", 0 )

If the .HLP file is located in the same directory as the .OPO or .APP file,
then you can use:

Include "const.oph"
...
local helpfile$(255)
local parse%(6)

helpfile$ = Parse$( "myhelp.hlp", Cmd$( KCmdAppName% ), parse%() )
RunApp&:( "Data", helpfile$, "", 0 )

to find it, where ever you happen to be installed.

As for displaying it _within_ an OPL program (if that's what you meant),
then you'd probably have to resort to using DATA.OPX to extract and format
the stuff manually.

As for _writing_ help files, then as someone above said, you need to use
ALEPPO from one of the SDKs to generate the file. It is possible, though
slightly convoluted, to write the files in WORD on the Psion and convert
them (off the top of my head, I created a suitable template for the Psion,
then used PsiWin to convert to Microsoft Word 2, cut-and-pasted this into
an .RTF file, and then used ALEPPO... I seem to remember going straight to
RTF didn't work for some reason). If anyone's interested, I can probably
dig out more details/examples.

Regards,
Graham Holden (g-holden AT dircon DOT co DOT uk)
--
There are 10 types of people in the world;
those that understand binary and those that don't.

[David Sumbler]

Thanks for your suggestions. All very .hlpful and just what I wanted.

David