# Preface

This manual describes how to develop online help for Common Desktop Environment application software. It covers how to create help topics and how to integrate online help into a Motif™ application.

## Who Should Use This Book

The audience for this book includes:

- Authors who design, create, and view online help information

- Developers who want to create software applications that provide a fully integrated help facility

## How This Book Is Organized

This book has four parts. Part 1 describes the collaborative role that authors and developers undertake to design application help. Part 2 provides information for authors organizing and writing online help. Part 3 describes the Help System application programmer's toolkit. Part 4 contains information for both authors and programmers about preparing online help for different language environments.

This book includes these chapters:

Part 1— Introduction

HRDC.Intro.mkr.1, provides an overview of authors' and developers' collaborative role in producing online help.

Part 2— The Author's Job

`` HRDC.OrgH.mkr.1 , describes the components that make up a help volume.

HRDC.WrTop.mkr.1, introduces the Help System markup language and gives examples of elements used to format different types of information. It describes how to include graphics and create hyperlinks.

HRDC.CrHV.mkr.1, describes how to process a marked-up file (or files) to generate a single run-time file for online viewing.

The Guide to the DocBook DTD lists in alphabetical order the DocBook markup language elements, and describes their use.

HRDC.ChEnt.mkr.1, provides a list of characters and associated entity names that can be used to insert special characters into help topic text.

HRDC.CmdS.mkr.1 , summarizes how to process and view a help volume by entering commands in a terminal emulator window.

HRDC.Sgml.mkr.1, describes the DocBook DTD and how to use it to create fully compliant Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) help files.

Part 3— The Programmer's Job

HRDC.CrDia.mkr.1, introduces the Help Dialog widgets and explains how to use them.

HRDC.HReq.mkr.1, explains how an application provides entry points to access different types of help.

HRDC.DiaEv.mkr.1,shows how an application can use a callback structure to handle hyperlink events.

HRDC.H4Hlp.mkr.1, describes how an application can provide a help module that tells users how to use the Help System.

`` HRDC.Inst.mkr.1 , covers what to include in an installation package to supply online help with an application.

Part 4— Internationalization

HRDC.Lang.mkr.1, identifies language-dependent files used by the Help System.

Glossary is a list of words and phrases found in this book and their definitions.

## Related Books

Related Common Desktop Environment books that you may find helpful are:

- Advanced User's and System Administrator's Guide

- Internationalization Programmer's Guide

- Style Guide and Certification Checklist

- User's Guide

- Guide to the DocBook DTD

For a technical description of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), refer to:

- The SGML Handbook by Charles F. Goldfarb, Oxford University Press (ISBN 0-19-853737-9).

## What Typographic Changes and Symbols Mean

The following table describes the type changes and symbols used in this book.

## Typographic Conventions

`Typeface or Symbol` | `Meaning` | `Example`
`AaBbCc123` | The names of commands, files, and directories; on-screen computer output | Edit your `.login` file. Use `ls -a` to list all files. `system%` `You have mail.`
AaBbCc123 | Command-line placeholder: replace with a real name or value | To delete a file, type `rm` `` filename.
AaBbCc123 | Book titles, new words or terms, or words to be emphasized | Read Chapter 6 in the User's Guide`.` These are called class options.You must be root to do this.