Progress
Help Development
Guide


Glossary

ALink

A hypertext link that locates target topics based on A-keywords (keywords stored in A footnotes) rather than context strings. ALinks are typically used to find a set of related topics, and are often associated with a Related Topics button in a help topic.

Application Context

Any currently displayed user-interface element that has input focus, for example, a window, dialog box, browse, button, combo-box, control frame, editor, fill-in, radio-set, selection-list, slider, and toggle box. The application context is the basis for context-sensitive help. (See also Context-Sensitive Help, Context ID.)

Browse Sequence

A series of related help topics that are designed for the user to access in a sequential order. When viewing a help topic defined as part of a browse sequence, the Browse buttons (<< and >>) are active, and the user can click them to see the previous or next topic. You define browse sequences in help topics with the plus sign (+) control code. Each help topic in a browse sequence has a sequence name and a unique sequence number. (See also Control Code, Sequence Name, Sequence Number.)

Contents File

An ASCII file containing information used by the help engine to populate the Contents tab of the Help Topics dialog box, as well as any or all of six contents file commands that determine the behavior of the Help Topics dialog box.

Context ID

A number assigned to an application context and the corresponding help topic. The help author maps context IDs to topic IDs in the [MAP] section of the help project file to provide context-sensitive help for a user interface. (See also Application Context, Context-Sensitive Help, Help Project File, Topic ID.)

Context-sensitive Help

Information designed to help users understand their current status or position in the context of an application. It is a quick access method, often used to help a user interact with a current dialog box, frame, screen, or window. (See also Application Context, Context ID. Contrast with Reference Help.)

Context String

See Topic ID.

Control Code

An MS-Word footnote that the help compiler uses to serve a particular purpose within the help system. For example, the help compiler includes all the keywords included in K control codes in the Index tab of the Help Topics dialog box.

Cross-file Link

A jump or popup link that, when selected, displays a help topic that is located in a different help resource file.

Destination Topic Identifier

The part of the hypertext link hidden from the user that informs the help engine which topic(s) to find when the user activates the link. A destination topic identifier is the topic ID of a particular help topic or a KLink or ALink macro.

Event

A keyword representation of a user or system action in Progress. An example of a user event is a keystroke.

Graphics Files

Files that contain images that are compiled along with help topic files into the finished help file.

Help Calling Interface

The Progress code that allows users to request and receive help information using a help keystroke, a help button, or a help menu. The calling interface invokes the help engine and directs it to display the specified help information.

Help Compiler

A Windows-supplied program that converts help source files into a finished help file using the instructions in the help project file.

Help Engine

An application (winhlp32.exe) designed to display help windows, populate them with help topics, and navigate help topics.

Help File

A binary file that contains the compiled help information for the help engine to read and display. Help files have an .hlp file extension.

Help Source Files

Files that contain the help information for a help system. Help source files consist of help topic files and graphics files.

Help Statements

An extended subset of tokens defined by the rich text format (RTF) standard. When you author help topic files in MS-Word, and save the file as RTF, the necessary help statements are automatically generated for you.

Help String

A string that appears in the status bar of a window and describes the function of the Progress field-level widget that has input focus. You define help strings for database fields in their schema definitions. You define help strings for field-level widgets, using the HELP option in the Format phrase of certain 4GL language statements.

Help System

A multi-component system that delivers large units of help information to application users and provides tools that allow users to navigate through help information.

Help Topic

A concise, modular piece of information about a single subject. A description of a dialog box in your application, a definition of a term, a set of instructions to complete a task, or a description of a 4GL language element are examples of help topics. In the help topic file, each help topic begins with one or more control codes and ends with a page break.

Help Topics Dialog Box

A dialog box that serves as “home base” for a help file. The Help Topics dialog box includes, by default, three tabbed pages labeled Contents, Index, and Find. The Contents tab serves as a table of contents for the help file, and displays only if there is a contents file that contains at least one valid topic entry (hypertext link). The Index tab lists the keywords contained in the K footnotes of the help file. The Find tab provides a full-text search feature. Users typically access the Help Topics dialog from the Help menu in an application window or from the Help Topics button in a help window. The Help Topics dialog box can be customized by including one or more contents file commands in the contents file.

Help Window

A window the characteristics of which are defined in the help project file, created by the help engine to display a help topic. One or more window types can be defined in the project file. Every help project must define at least one widow type, named “main.” All other window types are called secondary windows (which see).

Help Workshop

A Microsoft Windows utility, \Program Files\Progress\bin\hcw.exe, for creating help files, creating and editing project and contents files, and testing and reporting on help files. Help Workshop uses information in the project (.hpj) file to compile the topic (.rtf) files and graphics files into a binary help file (.hlp). The Help Author’s Guide , hcw.hlp, provides online help for Help Workshop.

Hotspot

The origin of a hypertext link. It usually refers to a rectangular region of a segmented hypergraphics file (.shg) that contains a hypertext link. (See also Hypertext Links, Segmented Hypergraphics File.)

Hypertext Link

Text or a graphic that is coded to connect help information in a non-linear fashion, causing the help engine to display a related topic when the user selects the link. Hypertext links consist of two parts: Link Text, which is formatted to cue the user to recognize it as such, and a Destination Topic Identifier that informs the help engine which topic(s) to find when the user activates the link. (See also Jump, Hotspot, Popup Link.)

Input Focus

The interface element that will receive the next user event (input), provided the user does not navigate to another element.

Jump

Text or graphics that, when selected, cause the help engine to display a specified related help topic. Jumps in text appear in help windows with a solid underline. (See also Segmented Hypergraphics File. Contrast with Popup Link.)

Keyword

A word or phrase associated with one or more help topics. You can search for information in the Index tab of the Help Topics dialog box using keywords. You use the K control code to associate one or more keywords with a help topic. (See also Control Code.)

KLink

A hypertext link that locates target topics based on index keywords (keywords stored in K footnotes) rather than context strings.

Link Text

Text or a graphic reference formatted to serve as a visual cue to the user identifying it as a hypertext link.

Map ID

See Context ID, Topic ID.

Non-scrolling Region

A help window feature that continuously displays the header region of a help topic while the user scrolls through the topic. The help author can determine the size of this region, and turn the feature on or off. The non-scrolling region is controlled by the Keep With Next paragraph attribute in MS-Word. If a popup topic defines a non-scrolling region, only the non-scrolling region will appear when the topic is displayed.

Placement By Reference

A technique for including graphic files in a help topic file, by specifying the filename and alignment of the graphic in the help topic file, as opposed to embedding the graphic directly in the topic file.

Popup Link

Text or graphics that when selected, cause the help engine to display text or graphics in a smaller, overlapping window. The help viewer displays pop-up links in text with a dotted underline. (See also Segmented Hypergraphics File. Contrast with Jump.)

Project File

A text file that contains instructions that tell the help compiler how to build a help file from a specified set of help source files. Help project files must have an .hpj file extension.

Reference Help

Reference help provides general technical and usage information about an application. Reference information is not designed for a specific application context. The primary access for reference help is through the Help Topics dialog box. (Contrast with Context-Sensitive Help.)

Secondary Window

A help viewer window in which help topics are displayed. Unlike the main help window, a secondary window cannot contain a menu bar; however, the help author can control a secondary window’s buttons, style, and placement in the [WINDOWS] section of the help project file. (See also Window Redirection.)

Segmented Hypergraphics file

A graphics file that contains one or more hotspots. You can use the Hotspot Editor (shed.exe), to add hotspots to a standard Windows bitmaps. Segmented hypergrahics files have a .shg extension.

Sequence Name

The name the help compiler uses to distinguish different browse sequences in a help resource file. (See also Browse Sequence, Sequence Number.)

Sequence Number

A unique alphanumeric character that the help author assigns a help topic in a browse sequence. The help compiler uses the sequence number to do an ASCII (ascending) sort of all help topics defined in a particular browse sequence. For example, when the user selects the next help topic in a browse sequence, the help viewer displays the help topic with a higher sequence number. (See also Browse Sequence, Sequence Name.)

Status Area

An optional feature of a Progress window that displays one line of message text at the bottom of the window. Progress controls its appearance with the STATUS-AREA attribute.

Topic ID

A unique character string that identifies each topic in the help system. The topic ID identifier tells the help viewer which topic to display when the user chooses a popup link, jump, or a user interface feature that has been assigned context-sensitive help. You define topic IDs in help topics with the pound sign (#) control code. (See also Application Context, Context ID, Control Code.)

Topic Title

A word or phrase that identifies a help topic in four help engine functions: searching the list of keywords on the Index tab of the Help Topics dialog box, conducting a full-text search using the Find tab of the Help Topics dialog box, defining a bookmark using the Bookmark menu; and backtracking through previously viewed topics using the History dialog box. You define topic titles with the dollar sign ($) control code. (See also Control Code.)

Trigger

A block of Progress code that executes whenever a specific event occurs (such as when the user chooses a menu item).

Widget

A visual element of a graphical user interface such as a menu, a frame, or a fill-in field.

Window Redirection

The technique used for displaying a help topic in another help viewer window. (See also Secondary Window.)


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