Adding Your Own !Help!

You can add your own help files to extend an applicationÕs standard !Help! or to
write !Help! for applications that donÕt have any. You could even use it as a
static ÒscrapbookÓ where you can save common text...when you need the text just
open !Help!, select the appropriate Subject & Topic, then Edit/Copy the text to
the Clipboard, ready for Pasting into another document.

HereÕs how:

First, create a new folder inside the Ò*:System:Desk.Accs:Help.Files:Ó folder.
Name that folder with the name you want to appear on the ÒSubjectÓ menu (e.g.
ÒMy.HelpÓ).

Next, launch any application that lets you create Teach or Text files (e.g.
ÒTeachÓ or ÒSpectrumÓ).

If you want a custom name to appear on the ÒSubjectÓ menu (e.g. ÒMy Special
HelpÓ) then create a document and type up to 34 characters for the subject, then
save the file as ÒSubject.AliasÓ inside your help folder.

Next, create your help document the way you want it to appear. Fonts, sizes,
styles, and colors can all be used. When formatting, keep in mind that the !Help!
window is fully-resizable, so you should type paragraphs of text followed by the
Return key (as opposed to pressing Return at the end of each line, which could
format strangely if the window is sized to be skinny).

TIPS

¥ If there are two words you always want to Òstick togetherÓ (such as
ÒGraphicWriterÊIIIÓ) enter a Òsticky spaceÓ instead of a regular Spacebar. To
enter a sticky space in most applications, press Option-Spacebar.

¥ Leave one or two blank lines at the end of each of your help files, so that
when the user scrolls all the way down there will be a line or two of space
between the last line of your text and the bottom of the !Help! window.

¥ If you are creating !Help! that other people might like, use common fonts and
sizes that others are likely to have (e.g. Geneva, Helvetica, Monaco, or Times in
10, 12, 14, and 18 point). Or, stick with the font that is guaranteed to be
available: Shaston, 8 point.

Save all your completed documents into the ÒÉHelp.Files:Ó folder, and write down
the filename of each document. Then decide the following:

- the order you want those documents listed on the Topic menu - the name you want
to appear on the Topic menu - the menu styles you want to use (e.g. do you want
certain names to be bold? do you want a divider bar above a particular item?)

Once you have your Topic menu sketched out on paper, create a new document and
type your Index in this format:

MenuFlags
Name for the Topic menu
Pathname on disk
...and so on...

In place of ÒMenuFlagsÓ put one or more of the following letters:

P = Plain (or N = Normal)
B = Bold
I = Italic
O = Outline
S = Shadow
U = Underline (normally does not show with Shaston.8)
D = Disable item
V = diVider bar below this item

For example, if you wanted an item to be BoldItalic, put ÒBIÓ (without the
quotes) on the MenuFlags line.

In place of ÒName for the Topic menuÓ youÕd put the name that you want to appear
on the Topic menu. Only the first 34 characters will be used.

Finally, in place of ÒPathname on diskÓ either specify a full pathname to your
help file (e.g. Ò*:My.Help:File.01Ó) or specify a partial pathname (e.g.
ÒYour.Own.HelpÓ). If a partial pathname is used, !Help! starts looking in the
same folder as your Index file.

To see an example of a finished Index, choose ÒAn example Index (for this help)Ó
from the Topic menu, and youÕll see the Index that was used to create the Topic
menu for this help subject.