dthelptag

user cmd

`dthelptag`

compile CDE Help source documents into runtime Help volumes

    dthelptag
    options
    file
    parser-options

## DESCRIPTION

This utility has been superseded by the `dtdocbook` utility, which converts source documents that conform to the DocBook 2.2.1 DTD (Document Type Definition) subelement PART to documents that conform to the SDL 1.2 DTD. The converted DocBook documents are readable by the DtHelp viewer.

The `dthelptag` utility is the CDE Help System compiler for translating HelpTag source markup into the online distribution format suitable for runtime display. See the CDE Help System Author's and Programmer's Guide for a description of the HelpTag markup language. See &cdeman.dthelpview; for more information on previewing compiled Help volumes.

The `dthelptag` utility accepts a single file name as an argument. If the file name contains a period (``.''), any characters after the last period are considered to be the extension. The `dthelptag` utility removes all characters after the last period and uses the resulting name as the base name for all intermediate files and for the final output files.

If the file argument has no periods, `dthelptag` uses the argument as the base name for intermediate and output files and assumes an extension of `.htg`, `.ctg` or `.sdl` for the input file. The `.ctg` extension is assumed when the `-formal` option described below is used. The `.sdl` extension is assumed when the `-compress` or `-decompress` option (described later in this document) is used.

Several options to `dthelptag` may precede the file name. Several arguments directing the parsing phase of the `dthelptag` process may follow the file name.

The output file is: file.sdl - the compiled help volume file.

## OPTIONS

The following options are available:

`-verbose`

- The `-verbose` option will cause `dthelptag` to generate and display parser messages during processing.

`-formal`

- The `-formal` option causes `dthelptag` to accept a subset of the HelpTag language that is strictly compliant to canonical SGML. (See the CDE Help System Author's and Programmer's Guide.) When this option is given, the default extension of the input file becomes `.ctg`.

`-nooptimize`

- The `-nooptimize` option eliminates certain optimizations that normally take place during translation of HelpTag markup to the runtime format. Using this option speeds the translation process.

`-clean`

- The `-clean` option causes `dthelptag` to simply remove any intermediate files from the current directory. No translation takes place.

`-debug`

- The `-debug` option causes `dthelptag` to leave all intermediate files in the current directory. The `-debug` option also blocks the compression step of `dthelptag`, leaving the resulting `.sdl` output file in a human-readable form.

`-files`

- The `-files` option causes a list of files referenced in the translation process to be emitted to the standard output. No translation takes place.

`-help`

- The `-help` option causes `dthelptag` to emit a synopsis of the `dthelptag` command line and a list of options to the standard output.

`-decompress`

- The `-decompress` option causes `dthelptag` to decompress a previously created `.sdl` file. When this option is specified, the default input extension is `.sdl`.

`-compress`

- The `-compress` option causes `dthelptag` to compress a `.sdl` file that either was created by translating a `.htg` or `.ctg` file using the `-debug` option or was previously decompressed using the `-decompress` option. When this option is specified, the default input extension is `.sdl`.

### Parser Options

Any parser options follow the file argument on the command line and take the form `option=value` for those options taking an argument and simply `option` for those options not taking an argument. Parser options may also be set in the environment variable `DTTAGOPT`, in a `helptag.opt` file or in a file named `file``.opt` in the current directory. The `helptag.opt` file may reside in the current directory or in the directory in which `dthelptag` is placed.

The order of precedence of the option settings is:

- The file `helptag.opt` in the `dthelptag` installation directory. This directory defaults to `/usr/dt/bin.`

- The environment variable `DTTAGOPT`.

- The file `helptag.opt` in the current directory.

- The file file`.opt` in the current directory.

- The command line.

Parser options set later in the list override options set earlier.

The parser options supported by `dthelptag` are:

`onerror=go`

- Cause errors to be non-fatal. That is, parsing continues and later phases of the `dthelptag` process are run even if syntax errors were encountered.

`onerror=stop`

- This is the default setting of the `onerror=` option. It causes the `dthelptag` process to stop upon completion of the parser phase if syntax errors were encountered during the parse.

`charset=name`

- The default character set used by the help system is ISO8859-1. A different character set may be specified, for example, `name`, using the `charset=` option. The character set may also be set in the `helplang.ent` file described in the CDE Help System Author's and Programmer's Guide.

`search=path`

- Specifies one or more directory `path(s)` to be searched when executing `dthelptag`. Both `dthelptag` input files and/or additional graphics or entity declaration files referenced within the HelpTag markup can be made accessible by setting this option. The `search=` option may be specified more that once and the list of directories to search is accumulated.

`clearsearch`

- Clears the list of directories searched for file and image entities.

`memo`

- The `memo` option causes authors' comments to be included in the output.

`nomemo`

- Specifies the inverse of the `memo` option. Both `memo` and `nomemo` may be specified, but the last entry will override any previous setting.

`shortfiles`

- Neither the `shortfiles` parser-option nor any of its synonyms should be used. Rather, the `-shortfiles` option should be given as an option to `dthelptag`. The `dthelptag` driver needs to know whether the user has requested short file names since `dthelptag` must know the names of the intermediate files.

`shortfile`

- This is a synonym for `shortfiles`.

short

- This is a synonym for `shortfiles`.

`longfiles`

- This option and any of its synonyms should not be used for the same reason that the `shortfiles` option should not be used.

`longfiles`

- Long, untruncated file names are the default.

`longfile`

- This is a synonym for `longfiles`.

long

- This is a synonym for `longfiles`.

## ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

`LANG` determines the language in which the input file is interpreted. The `LANG` environment variable can be overridden in the `helplang.ent` file described in the CDE Help System Author's and Programmer's Guide.

`DTTAGOPT` may be used to set parser options.

### International Code Set Support

Single- and multi-byte character code sets are supported.

## INPUT FILES

Following are the input files used by the `dthelptag` parser:

`file.htg`

- Default input file.

`file.ctg`

- Default input file when the `-formal` option has been specified.

`file.st`

- Status file and log.

`helplang.ent`

- Character set information and localizable replacement text.

`helptag.opt`

- Option file.

## OUTPUT FILES

Following are the input files used by the `dthelptag` parser:

`file.sdl`

- Runtime help volume

`file.err`

- Run log and error listing

## EXTENDED DESCRIPTION

The `dthelptag` utility is a driver program that executes two phases of the compilation process. The first phase translates the source markup into the distribution format. The second phase enhances the distribution file by precomputing information such as a list of identifiers in the file and their locations. These precomputations, along with several optimizations, enable rapid runtime display of the file. The second phase of the translation process also compresses the distribution file to reduce file system space required to store the file.

## EXIT STATUS

The following exit values are returned:

0

- Successful completion.

1

- An error was detected in the source file.

2

- An invocation error was detected.

## CONSEQUENCES OF ERRORS

Default.

## EXAMPLES

`dthelptag -clean myFile.htg`

- Remove all files previously generated by processing a source file of `myFile.htg`.

`dthelptag myFile.htg onerror=go`

- Process the file `myFile.htg`, not stopping even if there are syntax errors.

`dthelptag myFile.htg`

- Process the file `myFile.htg`.

## SEE ALSO

&cdeman.dthelpview;, CDE Help System Author's and Programmer's Guide.