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Text File | 1989-08-21 | 15.0 KB | 341 lines

PopText HelpSystem Version 2.2 (For Turbo 5.5) by Brian K. Trotter (C) 1989 Tone Zone Computing Distributed under the ShareWare System Restrictions: Permission is given to freely copy and distribute this program so long as there is no charge, and that it is not added as an incentive to market another software or hardware product. This program is NOT a public domain program, but is being distributed under the "ShareWare" concept. Anybody may use these programs, but only REGISTERED USERS may actually incorporate the units HYPERHLP,HYPFW, HELPDEF and SCREENIO. Users are asked to send a registration fee of Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) to: Tone Zone Computing. P.O. Box 414 Bishop, CA 93514 Registration entitles users to freely incorporate POPTEXT into their Turbo Pascal programs. By the way, there are several signatures embedded in the code, so I can verify my copyright against non-registered users. Disclaimer: This software and accompanying documentation files are provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind. Further, Tone Zone Computing does not Warrant, guarantee, or make any representations regarding the use, or the results of use, of this software. All risk taken in the use of this software is assumed by you, the user and Not Tone Zone Computing, nor any software club distributing this software. Due to the nature of this software (programming aid), it should be pointed out that improper use of this software can lead to unexpected results. You, the user assume all responsiblity for these results. That should satisfy my lawyers. Now on to the more important stuff. I. The Purpose of POPTEXT. Too often, especially in the ShareWare market, documentation becomes scarce, or users become loath to pass on needed documentation files. Often times, programmers fail to properly document files out of either neglect or laziness. One feature of several commercial programs in addition to outstanding documentation is the POP-UP HELP WINDOW. Excellent examples of this are found in Turbo Pascal 4.0 and above, Wordstar 2000+, and Novel LAN services. With or without the manual, the user has some reference available on-line. POPTEXT is an includable UNIT for Turbo Pascal programmers to prepare similar help systems. II. Features of POPTEXT. POPTEXT features an easy to use editor, a unit to include in Turbo 5.5 programs and three bonus units, including some fast writing routines, routines to enhance CRT, and a unit with all of the key definitions. The POPTEXT system features Context sensitive help, Window linking, and an easy to use Menubar. POPRES is a memory resident version of POPTEXT which can be accessed through Int $6E III. About the Help window. Each help window is a record consisting of 15 lines and 15 links. The lines are displayed on the screen, and the links are hidden in the background. In addition to being linked by line, windows are linked by the Page Up and Page Down keys. Windows are stored in a file with the extension .hlp, and are accessed randomly by POPTEXT. It is possible to access any record which already exists within the helpfile. Using the Editor, you can create new files, and append the files up to 256 records each. IV. Using the Editor. Using the Editor is as simple as typing HELPED Plus the name of the file you wish to edit. If you do not supply a filename, HELPED will prompt you for one. If the file does not exist, HelpEd will create a new file. Next, you are prompted with options to Edit, Link, Test, Choose Another, and Quit. Edit - Allows you to place text in the windows. A few helpful hints here. After you have selected the Page number, use the Arrow keys (Up/Down) to select lines to Edit. Page/Up and Page/Down allow you to browse through the pages. Important features of Edit. F2: Switches you to linking Mode. F3: Centers the Current line of text. Enter or any Alphanumeric: Edit the current line. (While Editing line, ESC erases line) ESC: Return to Main Menu. Link - Linking is the key to POPTEXT. To the right of the help box, you will see a list of numbers in another box. Most likely, in a new file these will all be zeroes. If you are editing the help file which came with this program, you will find several non-zero numbers. These represent links in the stack. The file can be looked at as a stack of cards. The links allow you to move to any portion of the stack. Links are line oriented, so selecting the link at the user level is as easy as moving the bar to the line containing the link and pressing enter. This is only the first step. In the editing mode, you have to mark the text by highlighting a keyword in the text line associated with the link. To do so, press ^Q before you type the word to be associated, and ^W after. This will highlight the word. POPTEXT will properly function only when both of these is done. There can be up to 15 links in each box. To establish a link, move the cursor to the line you want linked and press enter. Respond to the prompt with the number you want linked. Pressing ALT-C clears all links. Pressing F1 returns you to the editor mode. Test - Testing the helpscreen causes the program to activate the very same subroutine which you will incorporate in your program. In this manner, you can see how the help menu will look and feel, as well as check the validity of the links. Choose Another File - Allows you to close the current help stack and select another. If the selected file does not exist, PopText will create it. Quit and Save - Rather self explanatory. Section II: Organizing a PopText Stack. I predict the most popular use for this program will be context sensitive help. This is best demonstrated from the Turbo Pascal Menubar. Whereever you are in the menubar, pressing F1 gives you help on that subject. This is because its helpfile is indexed so that it calls up the exact heading needed. Another popular use will be the Deck. The deck is used when it is nessessary to show the user a large amount of facts in small bits. You start at the top and browse through the cards at your leisure. It is possible to provide vast amounts of data through the deck. I. Context Sensitive Help. Context sensitive help is achieved when a program is able to recognize what block of information is required to deliver to the user, and automatically selects the appropriate card from the deck. Example: You have Six menus with 4 to 9 options on each menu. You wish to maintain expandability to up to 9 items on each menu. (Menus should never have more that 9 items. If you are building larger menus, consider breaking them up. It is much easier on the user. The menus are all arranged by Topic. Pressing F1 at a Menu Header (e.g. File Options, Compiler Options, Run, Edit, etc) will call the card 10 times the menu number. On the menu choices, pressing F1 will call 10 times the menu number plus the number of the choice. In this way, the cards are indexed automatically by topic, and easy to manipulate. Should further information be needed past the first card of each topic, it would then LINK to a card further away. II. Random Access Deck. Random Access Decks are most usefull for teaching and outlines. In addition to Context-Sensitive Help, Turbo Pascal also has a Random Access Deck. It is called by pressing F1 again after pressing F1. This places the user in a very sophisticated menu where he can select from the topic of his choice. Some of these are submenus, leading down to further topics. Since all who will be using this program are Turbo Pascal Users, I suggest you explore the Help system. It will give excellent insight into Random Access Decks. Example: Information on various topics is stored in my stacks. On the first card, I have a list of topics where if there are more than 15 topics, I split the options over several decks with a more option. (Usually, the first cards are all topic cards, so pressing pagedown imediatly gives me more topics. On the first menu I select the topic "Cars". This moves me to a card with a list of manufacturers. I select "Nissan". This moves me to a list of models. I select "Sentra". I am now looking at a card with information on the Nissan Sentra. In this manner, I can arrange all my data. Another example of how this structure works can be seen in Biology. Start your stack with the largest topics. From there, work your way down to sub topics until you reach the exact information you require. The help menu which comes with this program is an example of a Random access stack, except that it leads you through the steps required much more carefully than you normally might. This is to better educate you. Remember, you are responsible for indicating to the user the proper way to move about the stack. It is quite possible to combine a context sensitive stack directly into a random access stack. The random access stack must eventually dig into the context sensitive data as its final results. Including POPTEXT in your programs. If you are a Turbo 5.5 user, you are ready to go. Simply add the statement Uses Hyperhlp; to your program. There are several requirements. 1. You must call function OPENHELPFILE(S:String):Integer; 2. Any time you want to use the help system, simply invoke the procedure PopTextCard(NUM:BYTE); where num is the card number you wish to begin on. 3. If Openhelpfile returns a non-zero result, then either POPTEXT was unable to find the file, or the file is bad. 4. On exit, is is always wise to call the function CLOSEHELPFILE:integer; 5. You must at compile time have the units Keynames, Screenio, HLPFW, HelpDef, Hyperhlp; in the Unit directory or current drive. Using POPRES: PopRes is designed for those who do not have Turbo Pascal 5.5. Nearly every language enables the user access to the 8088's built in interrupt functions. POPRes is a memory resident program which traps a normally unused interrupt vector ($6E) and causes it to act just like unit HYPERHLP. (It is the unit HYPERHLP with some surrounding code.) Load POPRES before loading the program which calls the POPTEXT routines. ******* IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT USE THESE INTERRUPT VECTORS ******* IF POPRES.EXE IS NOT INSTALLED! YOUR SYSTEM WILL HALT! We advise caution in the use of these routines if you are unfamiliar with the use of Interrupts. INT $6E - POPRES AH = 0 PopTextCard Entry conditions: AH = 0 AL = Window to use. Exit conditions: None Activates the Help window beginning with card number Al. Control is passed back to the caller when user escapes help. AH = 1 OPENHELPFILE Entry conditions: Ah=1 DS:DX = pointer to an ASCIIZ string with filename of helpfile. Exit conditions Al = 0 no error Al = 1 file not found. Prepares the help window by assigning a filevar. Required preparatory routine before calling PopTextCard. AH = 2 Closehelpfile Entry conditions: AH = 2 Exit conditions: None Closes Help file and de-initializes Openhelpfile. Usefull for changing help files. A sample program using POPRES is included. Zhlp.asm. For your convenience it has already been assembled, but you may alter it at your leisure and learn from it. Licensing agreement. While this program is in the Shareware system, and no fee can be charged for distribution (I make an exception for shareware firms and user groups who may charge up to $5.00 for media and time to copy only.), It is NOT, repeat NOT a public domain program. Please have respect for the many hours which went into POPTEXT. Those programmers who uses POPTEXT must appreciate the work of programming. I hereby licence to REGISTERED USERS only, the right to incorporate Screenio, HLPFW, HelpDef, and Hyperhlp into thier programs. I only included the interface sections, which are listed in the *.doc files. Currently, only Turbo 4.0 is supported, and all other versions must use the memory resident POPRES.EXE and interrupts. Registration Fees and benefits. By registering this program, you entitle yourself to two the latest version of this program, plus one upgrade. I promise, there will be upgrades. In addition, you will receive other programs on a shareware basis, plus a discount on registration of future Tone Zone Computing Programs. Honest, there will be more. Registered users may purchase the source code for POPTEXT for $50.00. This source code may be modified and distributed in your EXEcutable files, but not distributed in source form. Information on purchasing POPTEXT source will be sent to registered users. Eventually, an assembly language version of POPTEXT will be on the way which may be included in Assembly Language and 'C' programs. Also on the way is ADVENTURESOFT, an adventure writing language, an Object oriented database series, and many, many utilities. If you wish to register, please send $25.00, check or money order to Tone Zone Computing Rt 2 TP 13 Bishop, Ca 93514 Make Checks Payable to Tone Zone Computing You will receive the latest version of POPTEXT as well as proof of registration. Please include the version number. VERSION NUMBER 2.2 Note: There is one known bug in the editor. When you are testing a stack and encounter a window with no links, the editor's TEST utility will print garbage. PopRES.EXE and HyperHlp.TPU do not exhibit these problems. This error will be fixed soon, and a spot upgrade sent to registered users. Also: Turbo Pascal 4.0 Users. PopText 2.1 is compiled and ready for Turbo Pascal 4.0. Please indicate on the registration form that you are a TP4.0 user and I will send you a version for 4.0 instead of 5.5. Turbo 5.0 users will have to purchase the source code for $50.00 and re-compile the units on their machine. Poptext 2.1, using Turbo 4.0 is available on Random Access Information Network (503)-761-8100 (12/24,N,8,1). Poptext (C) 1989 Brian K. Trotter (C) 1989 Tone Zone Computing. Poptext 2.2 is written entirely in Turbo Pascal 5.5 and TASM 1.0 Turbo Pascal is a registered trademark of Boorland International, Inc. TASM - Turbo Pascal Assembler is a registered trademark of Boorland International, Inc.