help files
The information displayed in the HelpWindow usually comes from a simple text file called a HelpFile.  The default HelpFile starts out the same as your program, except it ends with ".hlp".  You shouldn't rely on this name, however, because you might rename your program someday and loose all your help! Call XuiSetHelpFile() to explicitly set the default HelpFile.

HelpFile format
Each HelpFile contains one or more help entries.  Each entry starts with a heading line and ends just before the next heading line. Any line that begins with a ":" character is assumed to be a heading line.  Two complete entries and the beginning of a third are shown in the following example:

:AcceptIdentity
Press "Accept" to confirm the name in
the TextLine grid. This will be your
working identity for this mission.

:RetryIdentity
Press "Retry" to request a new name.
You must accept one of the first three
names offered or you will be terminated.

:AbortMission

HelpString
When you design GUIs interactively, you select grids from the toolkit, lay them out in design windows, and set their initial states with the AppearanceWindow. One of the properties you can set for each grid is called its HelpString, which has one of the following three formats:

*** format ***         *** example ***
filename:entryname     mission.hlp:AcceptIdentity
:entryname             :RetryIdentity
"help text string"     "[Abort]\nPrepare to die, Bond."

filename:entryname explicitly specifies the filename of the HelpFile to search and the :entryname of the help entry within it.

:entryname specifies the :entryname , but not the HelpFile. The default HelpFile is searched for the specified :entryname .

"help text string" is one or more lines of help text, with newline characters ( "\n" ) separating lines. This format supplies help text directly, so no HelpFile is searched. If the first line of the entry begins with a "[" character, the first line is displayed on the title label above the InstantHelp window in place of filename:entryname.