Kbase 16738: Use of Progress Help Files
| Autor |
Progress Software Corporation - Progress |
| Acesso |
Público |
| Publicação |
7/27/1998 |
|
Use of Progress Help Files
Use of Progress Help Files
Subtitle: How to Save a Lot of Time
(Updated 27 July 98)
INTRODUCTION:
=============
Progress Technical Support Engineers and many of our customers
spend hours every day researching information in Progress
Manuals. However, much of the printed information in the
manuals is also available in the Windows Help files that ship
with Progress. The information in the Help files can be searched
quickly and easily. With only a little practice, information can
normally be found faster in the Help files than in the printed
manuals.
The Windows Help files also support personalized bookmarks and
annotations (notes scribbled in the margins). Those features
allow for easy return to frequently-used pages and also allow
the Technical Support Engineers to keep extensive notes online.
WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS:
==========================
To save time and labor in your job.
PROCEDURAL APPROACH:
====================
You can use Windows help files that are on your own PC or Help
files on the network. Use of a Help file on your local PC's hard
drive results in a bit faster performance and slightly reduces
network congestion.
Progress Version 7 and later Help files can be used. However, Version
8 Help files seem to have all the information available in earlier
versions and more. Most of the time the Version 8 files provide
all the information required to resolve Version 7 issues.
There are multiple Help files shipped with Progress. However,
TECHENG.HLP is the "master file" that can then call all the
others as needed. Setting up a "shortcut" to TECHENG.HLP in
Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 will result in full use of all
Progress Help files on your system.
Members of different Technical Support teams may prefer to
have other shortcuts that lead directly to frequently-used Help
files as needed for their areas of responsibility. That will save
a few keystrokes/mouseclicks. The various help files available are:
TRANENG.HLP - Translation Manager
VTENG.HLP - Visual Translation Manager
INSTENG.HLP - Installation Procedures (NOTE: This Help file has
very little information in it)
COMMENG.HLP - Common Dialog Window (a.k.a. create database window)
LGRFENG.HLP - general Help engine to get to some of other .HLP files
READENG.HLP - Release Notes
TECHENG.HLP - Main Help file that leads to all the other Help files
ADMNENG.HLP - Administration Help: startup/shutdown parameters
DICTENG.HLP - Dictionary Help engine
EDITENG.HLP - Procedure Editor
PTLSENG.HLP - Protools
COMPENG.HLP - Application Compiler
DESKENG.HLP - Database Desktop
UTILENG.HLP - Probuild
AS4DENG.HLP - AS/400 Data Dictionary
SNAPENG.HLP - Freezeframe(for screen captures in Progress)
UIBENG.HLP - User Interface Builder
VBXENG.HLP - VBX and OLE controls
REPBENG.HLP - Report Builder
DBUGENG.HLP - Progress Application Debugger
RESENG.HLP - Results
To establish quick access to Help files on your Windows 95 or
Windows NT 4.0 desktop system:
For most users on Windows NT workstation, a direct Windows shortcut
is:
%windir%\system32\winhlp32.exe C:\DLC\prohelp\techeng.hlp
For other systems the files may be in different subdirectories.
First, locate the Help files needed. Typically the files are in:
C:\DLC\PROHELP
If you cannot find them or do not have Progress Version 8
installed on your system, you can copy a complete set from the
network to a new subdirectory that you create on your local
hard drive.
Once the proper Progress Help files reside on your local hard
disk, right-click on any unused area in the Windows desktop.
Select NEW and then select SHORTCUT. Then either type in the
command line or use BROWSE to find the needed Help file, such
as:
C:\DLC\PROHELP\TECHENG.HLP
That should create a new shortcut with the Help icon on your
desktop. You can now double-click on that icon to launch Progress
Help.
Putting a bookmark in a Help file:
1. In the Help topic window, click Bookmark, and then click Define.
2. Specify a name for your bookmark so that you can use it to find
the topic again. If you want, you can also type a comment in the box.
3. To return to this topic later, click the Bookmark menu, and then
click the bookmark name for the topic you want to view.
Adding "margin notes" to a Help file:
1. In the Help topic window, click the Edit menu or the Options
button. You can also use the right mouse button to click inside
the topic.
2. Click Annotate, and then type your comments or notes.
3. When you are done, you'll see a paper-clip icon at the top of
the topic. You can click it to see or change your comment.
--------------------------------------
Progress Software Technical Support Note # 16738, updated 27 July
1998 to add information about versions 8.2x and 8.3 and also to remove
specific file names relevant only to Progress Software Technical
Support.