CLIPBOARD by J. Ari Kornfeld 1. Files associated with ClipBoard. HELPGEN.OBJ--The ClipBoard object file. UHELP.OBJ --Universal HELP.DBF access program. HELPGEN.DBF--The structure of a HELP.DBF type file. (TEMPHELP.DBF--Generated by ClipBoard.) 2. Before using ClipBoard... a. Use Clipper compile the finished program into object code (.OBJ). For example, compile the file DEMO.PRG to create DEMO.OBJ. Clipper DEMO b. Use plink86 as shown to create two .EXE files: Plink86 Fi DEMO Fi UHELP out DEMOTEST (This will create DEMOTEST.EXE) Plink86 Fi DEMO Fi HELPGEN Out DEMOGEN (This will create DEMOGEN.EXE) 3. Using ClipBoard. a. At the system prompt type the name of the program created by linking HELPGEN.OBJ to the main module(s). In our example type: DEMOGEN b. Strike the F1 function key to invoke ClipBoard. note: If the program is at a point at which it will not respond to the F1 key, help cannot be defined for that point. c. The first time you invoke ClipBoard, it will request the name of the file to be used to store the help data. It will prompt you: Type in the name of the .DBF file to use: Enter a file name without the three letter extent (.XXX). ClipBoard will create two files with this name. The first file will have the extent .DBF; the second, .NTX. For example, type HELP--this will tell ClipBoard to look for or create HELP.DBF and HELP.NTX. c1. If the files already exist, ClipBoard will give you the option of using the data already in the files. It will present a menu: Use OverWrite Quit use the arrow keys or space bar to highlight your choice. Hit the return key to select it. Use opens the existing file. OverWrite destroys the current contents of the file. Quit aborts ClipBoard and returns you to your application program. c2. If the files do not exist. HELPGEN.DBF MUST be present in the current directory or Clipper will report a DOS error. c3. The following file names are NOT allowed: HELPGEN, TEMPHELP. c4. If you include the file extent when you type in the file name, ClipBoard will ignore it. c5 You may hit the escape (Esc) key to abort ClipBoard (You will exit ClipBoard but remain in your application program.) c6. No distinction is made between upper and lower case letters. c7. You may precede the file name with a disk drive name, such as D:HELP. d. ClipBoard will then open a window to display the current location in the application program and what select area was active at the time you invoked ClipBoard. At the bottom of the window you are presented a four choice menu: HelpGen WritePrg Help Quit HelpGen is highlited. You may use the arrow keys or space bar to highlite a different choice. Hit the return key to select the currently highlited choice. HelpGen will allow you to generate a help window for the current procedure-variable. WritePrg will create a .PRG file using the information stored in the HELP.DBF and .NTX files. It will be discussed in more detail later. Help provides some online help. Quit will return you to your application without modifying the current entry. e. Select HelpGen. If you already defined a help window for this procedure-variable ClipBoard will present the following menu: Use OverWrite Quit If you choose to use the current information you must be careful to save the window, even if you decide to leave it unchanged. If you quit beyond this point, all information about the window will be lost. Choosing OverWrite destroys the old information and lets you totally redefine the help window. f. ClipBoard is now in the "position" mode. A "top left box corner" will appear where the cursor was positioned at the time you hit the F1 key. The highest row on the screen will display a status line showing exactly where the cursor is. Use the arrow keys to position the corner. f1. Hit the F3 function key for additional help (as you can at any time in ClipBoard.) f2. The positioning is not very crucial as you will get a second chance to position the window after it has been completed. g. Hit the F2 function key when you are satisfied. You will now enter the ClipBoard "edit" mode. Type in the text of the help message. Enter a blank line or strike the F2 function key to end the edit mode. g1. You can use the up down and back arrows to move around the help window. F3 provides additional help, as before. g2. The F9 function key will cause the message "Press any key to continue..." to appear and be centered on the current line in the help window. g3. ClipBoard automatically puts a space between the frame and the text both on the left and right sides. g4. To put a blank line in the window type a space before hitting the return key. h. Hit the F2 key or enter a blank line when you have finished entering and editing the text of the help window. This will put you into the "verification" mode. You can now reposition the entire window, expand it by shifting the right side of the window to the right, kill the entire window and start again, or resume the edit mode to redo part of the help window. h1. The arrow keys move the help window around the screen. Hit the F3 key to see additional help. h2. Notice the prompt line on the bottom of the screen. h3. Quit will kill the window and return you to your application program. i. To save the help window as it is, and return to your application program, type S or the F1 function key. j. Repeat this process for all parts of the application for which you would like to add help screens. j1. If you would like to view the results at any point during the development period exit the application and invoke the version create by linking in UHELP.OBJ. (DEMOTEST.EXE, in our example.) This version will also ask for a file name, the first time you strike F1 but after that it presents the help windows exactly as it would appear in the final program but without allowing you to edit, etc. k. When you have defined all the help windows for the application program, strike the help key (F1) from anywhere within the application. Select the "WritePrg" option. This will create a .PRG file that can then be compiled by Clipper and linked into your application program. The result will work exactly the same as the version created by linking in the UHELP.OBJ file with the following exceptions: It will be faster and it will no longer ask for a file name the first time you strike F1 (it will not access any external files at all.) In our example, selecting the WritePrg option would create the file HELP.PRG. k1. The .PRG file is given the same name as the .DBF and .NTX files except that the extent will be .PRG. k2. You can use a regular text editor to alter the help.PRG file and customize the windows' frame, color etc. to suit your tastes. NOTES: A Hard Disk comes in very handy for this program. A RAM disk is even better. The help programs may not work properly if your application program uses the Clipper commands "SAVE SCREEN" and "RESTORE SCREEN".