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XVhelp 1.00 README - November 1993

The files in these directories are the sources for XVhelp 1.00 for Linux.
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INTRODUCTION:

XVhelp is a help system for XView. The main feature of the program is 
a simple interaction with the user because it runs using a window
interface and recalls some properties of hypertext programs.
The help definition is made by a simple text file that the user can write
using any text-editor and following the rules of an easy language defined
in the file help.hlp. Then such a file must be compiled by the program 
hcc in order to generate the reference and description files (.hrf 
and .hdf) used by the visualizer. Now the file can be seen into an 
XView window using the program XVhelp.

DESCRIPTION OF THE HELP SYSTEM:

(More description is given in the help.hlp file itself; this file
is read by default running xvhelp.)

XVhelp is made by two parts:
	- a compiler (hcc),
	- a visualizer (xvhelp).

The hcc program manages the text file, written following a proper 
language, and produces two files. The syntax is:

	prompt> hcc helpfile.hlp

The file extension .hlp is compulsory.

The xvhelp program reads the two files generated by hcc (helpfile.hrf 
and helpfile.hdf) and shows the source text file into an XView window.
The syntax is:

	prompt> xvhelp [helpfile]

If you do not give the helpfile argument then the program loads the
default file that is help.hlp (with the help system explanations).
Note that in this case you must give no extension.
[There is also an Italian version of the file help.hlp, it is the 
 file help-ita.hlp. However help-ita.hlp is smaller and less explanatory
 than the original file help.hlp].

COPYRIGHT:

This code is absolutely free.
The only thing that we ask you is to e-mail us if you try this program:
let us know your comment! (even if you use it only for some minutes
and then 'rm -f *' in the XVhelp-1.00 directory!).

REQUIREMENTS:

In the tar file there are an executable hcc and an executable xvhelp,
compiled under LINUX 0.99pl13 with XView3 (with the -m486 option).

The program REQUIRES the XView library to run (it's just a nice toolkit!)
The XView package which comes with SLS (I've tryed 1.02 and then 1.03)
works fine. However I suggest to install the new XView 3L5.1 package
(tsx-11:/pub/linux/binaries/usr.bin.X11/xview3L5.1.tar.gz or
sunsite:/pub/Linux/libs/xview3L5.1.tar.gz) which fixes some bugs, 
especially if you plan to use the toolkit!

INSTALLING xvhelp:

- type 'zcat XVhelp-1.00.tgz |tar xv ' in your working directory.
  tar will create the XVhelp-1.00 directory for you.
- the rest is obvious...

COMPILING xvhelp:

- Tune the Makefile :
	* select your machine (386 or 486), default is 486;
	* select the directory in which you want to put the
	  binaries (xvhelp and hcc) when you type "make install",
	  default is /usr/local/bin. NOTE that you MUST create
	  the directory;
	* select the directory in which you want to keep the
	  help files: the program searches the files in the current
	  directory or in the directory specified in this way,
	  default is /usr/local/lib/xvhelp. NOTE that you MUST
	  create the directory.
- You need the datastr.a file library in your XVhelp-1.00 directory; you 
  can build the library simply typing "make lib".
- Then type "make hcc" in the xvhelp directory in order
  to compile the hcc compiler.
- Finally type "make xvhelp" in the xvhelp directory in order to 
  compile the xvhelp visualizer.
  No matter for some warnings from xvhelp.c, graph.c and visual.c (;-)))
- You can clean the object files (*.o) and a possible core, just typing 
  "make clean".
- You can delete the object files (*.o), the library (datastr.a),
  the binaries (hcc and xvhelp) and a possible core typing "make realclean". 
  
RUNNING xvhelp:

- Just type xvhelp with no arguments (the first time you use the 
  program it is recomended because in this way it loads the
  help.hlp file that explains the usage of the program).
- You'll have in a few seconds a window with a nice bar with pop-up menu 
  and buttons.
  Here is a description of each menu and button:
Load file (button)
	Prompts you with a frame for typing the name of the help 
	file to be opened; the extension MUST be omitted.
Help (menu)
	Help on help:to load the help file help.hlp;
	Index: to go to the first page of help (generally the index);
	Previous: to go to the previous page in the help file;
	Next: to go to the next page in the help file;
	Back: to go to the page seen previously;
	Search: to open a notice with the arguments (in alphabetical order)
        	to which you can go directly.
About (button)
	Try yourself!
Quit (button)
	Exit from the program (confirm is required).
Index (button),
Back (button),
Previous (button),
Next (button),
Search (button)
	see above. 

USE OF THE MOUSE:
 
-Under XView when you click with the Right Button on a Menu it will roll
 down, while clicking on it with the Left Button will cause the Default
 Menu item to take effect (usually the first menu item). 

In the text window:
LEFT BUTTON: Clicking on a bold characters word (say hotword) you cause 
             the program to execute the action associated to that very word.

FINAL NOTES:
 
 - Sorry for our English!
 - e-mail suggestions/comments/BUGS to calamaro@dist.dist.unige.it
   (do not ask us what led us to make xvhelp...)

Have fun!
			Roberto  _   Luca    _  Guido
                      Surlinelli   Maranzano   Cardino

      		        calamaro@dist.dist.unige.it

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