cdesktopenv/cde/doc/C/guides/helpGuide/ch12.sgm

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<!-- $XConsortium: ch12.sgm /main/11 1996/09/08 19:41:02 rws $ -->
<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 Digital Equipment Corporation. -->
<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 Hewlett-Packard Company. -->
<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 International Business Machines Corp. -->
<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 Sun Microsystems, Inc. -->
<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 Novell, Inc. -->
<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 FUJITSU LIMITED. -->
<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 Hitachi. -->
<chapter id="HRDC.Inst.div.1">
<title id="HRDC.Inst.mkr.1">Preparing an Installation Package</title>
<para id="HRDC.Inst.mkr.2">This chapter identifies the help files that are
included in an application installation package. It also describes how help
files are handled when your application is registered on the desktop.</para>
<informaltable id="HRDC.Inst.itbl.1" frame="All">
<tgroup cols="1">
<colspec colname="1" colwidth="4.0 in">
<tbody>
<row rowsep="1">
<entry><para><!--Original XRef content: 'Delivering Online Help244'--><xref
role="JumpText" linkend="HRDC.Inst.mkr.4"></para></entry></row>
<row rowsep="1">
<entry><para><!--Original XRef content: 'Creating an Installation Package244'--><xref
role="JumpText" linkend="HRDC.Inst.mkr.5"></para></entry></row>
<row rowsep="1">
<entry><para><!--Original XRef content: 'Registering Your Application and
Its Help247'--><xref role="JumpText" linkend="HRDC.Inst.mkr.9"></para></entry>
</row>
<row rowsep="1">
<entry><para><!--Original XRef content: 'Product Preparation Checklists248'--><xref
role="JumpText" linkend="HRDC.Inst.mkr.12"></para></entry></row></tbody></tgroup>
</informaltable>
<sect1 id="HRDC.Inst.div.2">
<title id="HRDC.Inst.mkr.3">Overview</title>
<para>When it comes time to prepare your final product, you must be sure that
all your help files are created and installed properly. Your product package
includes both the run-time help file (<symbol>volume</symbol><filename>.sdl</filename>) and its graphic files. Additionally, you can provide a help
family file that enables your volume to be viewed using the Front Panel Help
Viewer.</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="HRDC.Inst.div.3">
<title id="HRDC.Inst.mkr.4">Delivering Online Help</title>
<para>Online help can be fully integrated into an application or provided
as a standalone help volume. Fully integrated help allows a user to directly
access help information from an application by using a Help menu or Help key.
A standalone volume on the other hand, can only be displayed using the desktop
Help Viewer.</para>
<para>A system administrator may choose to add a standalone help volume to
the desktop when an application does not provide integrated help or a customized
environment provides a supplemental help volume. See <xref role="SecTitleAndPageNum"
linkend="HRDC.Inst.mkr.10"> for instructions to install a standalone volume
on the desktop.</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="HRDC.Inst.div.4">
<title id="HRDC.Inst.mkr.5">Creating an Installation Package</title>
<para>Your installation package should include these help files:</para>
<itemizedlist><listitem><para>Run-time help files</para>
</listitem><listitem><para>Graphics files</para>
</listitem><listitem><para>Help family file (optional)</para>
</listitem><listitem><para>Application defaults file (optional)</para>
</listitem></itemizedlist>
<para>The run-time help file and any graphics used in the online help are
included in your installation package. A help family file is optional for
integrated application help. However, if you want your application help to
be browsable using the desktop Help Viewer, you must provide a family file.
If you are delivering a standalone help volume, you must provide a help family
file. See <xref role="SecTitleAndPageNum" linkend="HRDC.CrHV.mkr.11">.</para>
<para>If your application's help volume includes execution links, it is recommended
that the author define execution aliases in an application defaults file.
This takes advantage of the Help System's default execution policy which will
automatically execute links with execution aliases. However, if the help volume
is viewed as an independent volume using a separate information viewer, such
as the Help Viewer, the Help System will display a confirmation dialog box
when an execution link is selected.</para>
<para><xref role="CodeOrFigureOrTable" linkend="HRDC.Inst.mkr.6"> on <xref
role="Page" linkend="HRDC.Inst.mkr.6"> shows a typical installation package
for an application and its help files. Help files are grouped in a separate <filename>help</filename> subdirectory which contains a default language directory
(C is the default). The run-time help file, family file, and graphics files
are located in this directory.</para>
<figure>
<title id="HRDC.Inst.mkr.6">Application installation package</title>
<graphic id="HRDC.Inst.grph.1" entityref="HRDC.Inst.fig.1"></graphic>
</figure>
<para>If your application provides online help in multiple languages, you
should create a <symbol role="Variable">language</symbol> subdirectory to
accommodate each language (where <symbol role="Variable">language</symbol>
matches the user's <systemitem class="resource">LANG</systemitem> environment
variable). For example, an application that provides both an English and German
user interface stores its corresponding online help in two subdirectories: <filename>C</filename> for English and <filename>german</filename> for German.</para>
<sect2 id="HRDC.Inst.div.5">
<title>Run-Time Help File</title>
<para>DocBook creates a single run-time help file, <symbol role="Variable">volume</symbol><filename>.sdl</filename>. The base name, <symbol role="Variable">volume</symbol>, is the same as the base name of your <symbol role="Variable">volume</symbol><filename>.sgm</filename> file. The Help Viewer uses information
stored in this master help file and also accesses any associated graphic files.
</para>
<para>You don't need to ship the <symbol role="Variable">volume</symbol><filename>.sgm</filename> or any additional files generated by the DocBook software.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="HRDC.Inst.div.6">
<title id="HRDC.Inst.mkr.7">Graphics Files</title>
<para>If your help volume uses graphics, the image files are typically stored
in a separate directory for convenience. However, you may choose to store
them in the same location as your <symbol role="Variable">volume</symbol> <command>.sgm</command> file.</para>
<para>A run-time help file does not include actual graphic images. Instead,
it contains a &ldquo;reference&rdquo; to the location of each graphic file.
When you run DocBook, the <command>dtdocbook</command> compiler incorporates
the relative path names of the graphics files into the help volume.</para>
<para>When the help files are installed, the graphics files must be in the
same relative position as when the run-time file was built. Otherwise, the
help volume will be unable to locate the graphics files. For example, if your
graphics files are in a subdirectory named <filename>graphics</filename> one
level below your <symbol role="Variable">volume</symbol><filename>.sgm</filename>
file, then your installation package must preserve that relative position.
The graphics files must be placed in a subdirectory named <filename>graphics</filename> one level below the <symbol role="Variable">volume</symbol><filename>.sdl</filename> file.</para>
<figure>
<title>Relationship of build directories and installation package</title>
<graphic id="HRDC.Inst.grph.2" entityref="HRDC.Inst.fig.2"></graphic>
</figure>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="HRDC.Inst.div.7">
<title>Help Family File</title>
<para>You can optionally provide a help family file (<symbol>volume</symbol><filename>.hf</filename>). A family file briefly describes your help volume and includes
copyright information. It can also be used to group one or more related volumes
into a single product category.</para>
<para id="HRDC.Inst.mkr.8">If you want your help volume to be accessible from
the desktop browser volume, then you must provide a family file in your installation
package. To create a family file, see <xref role="SecTitleAndPageNum" linkend="HRDC.CrHV.mkr.11">.
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="HRDC.Inst.div.8">
<title id="HRDC.Inst.mkr.9">Registering Your Application and Its Help</title>
<para>The desktop's integration utility, <command>dtappintegrate</command>,
registers your application and its help files by creating symbolic links between
the installed application files and specific desktop directories. Application
registration ensures that your help files are located in the directory search
paths used by the Help System.</para>
<para>Registration enables two important features of the Help System:</para>
<itemizedlist><listitem><para><emphasis>Cross-volume hyperlinks</emphasis>
&mdash; A hyperlink in one help volume can refer to another help volume using
just the volume name and an ID within the volume. If the destination volume
is registered, the link does not have to specify where the volume is stored
on the file system.</para>
</listitem><listitem><para><emphasis>Help family browsing</emphasis> &mdash;
If you also register a &ldquo;help family&rdquo;, then your help volumes will
be browsable using the Help Viewer.</para>
</listitem></itemizedlist>
<para>Registering your online help makes it easier to access the help you
provide. For authors and programmers, it's easier because references to your
volume can use just the volume name, without specifying the volume's actual
location.</para>
<para>If you register a help family with one or more help volumes, you make
your help available for general browsing from the Front Panel Help Viewer.
This allows access to application-specific help without using the application.
If you are writing standalone help, this is the only way for users to get
to your help.</para>
<sect2 id="HRDC.Inst.div.9">
<title id="HRDC.Inst.mkr.10">Standalone Help</title>
<para>A standalone help volume for an application or a customized environment
can be created using the Help System Developer's Kit. To make the help volume
accessible from in the desktop index volume, a system administrator installs
the run-time help file, associated graphics, and family file in the
<filename>/etc/dt/appconfig/help/</filename><symbol role="Variable">language</symbol>
directory.</para>
<para>Remember that the run-time help file and its graphics files must be
installed in the same relative position as when the help volume was built.
See <xref role="SecTitleAndPageNum" linkend="HRDC.Inst.mkr.7"> to review the
installation of graphics files.</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="HRDC.Inst.div.10">
<title>What Happens When the Application Is Registered</title>
<para>Application registration creates symbolic links from the run-time help
file and family located in <symbol>app_root</symbol>/<filename>dt/appconfig/help</filename> <symbol>language</symbol> to the <filename>/etc/dt/appconfig/help</filename>/<symbol>language</symbol> directory.</para>
<para>Refer to the <citetitle>Advanced User's and System Administrator's Guide</citetitle> for detailed instructions for application registration.</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="HRDC.Inst.div.11">
<title id="HRDC.Inst.mkr.11">How a Help Volume Is Found</title>
<para>The Help System uses desktop search paths to locate help volumes. When
help is requested within an application or a help volume is specified in a
command line, the help volume is found by checking a set of search path directories.
You can control the directory search path for help volumes by modifying several
environment variables. Refer to the <citetitle>Advanced User's and System
Administrator's Guide</citetitle> for detailed information about specifying
search paths.</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="HRDC.Inst.div.12">
<title id="HRDC.Inst.mkr.12">Product Preparation Checklists</title>
<para>The following checklists should help you verify that you've prepared
your product correctly. Of course, there's no substitute for testing your
product by using it as a user would.</para>
<sect2 id="HRDC.Inst.div.13">
<title>For Authors</title>
<orderedlist><listitem><para><emphasis>A final version of the run-time help
file was created.</emphasis></para>
<para>Here are the recommended commands for creating the run-time file:</para>
<para><command>dtdocbook -r</command> <symbol role="Variable">volume</symbol></para>
<para><command>dtdocbook</command> <symbol role="Variable">volume</symbol></para>
<para>The <command>-r</command> option removes files from any previous <command>dtdocbook</command> command. You should not distribute a help volume that
has any parser errors. If any parser errors have occurred, dtdocbook will
place them in the intermediate file <symbol role="Variable">volume</symbol><filename>.log</filename>.</para>
</listitem><listitem><para><emphasis>All hyperlinks have been tested</emphasis>.
</para>
<para>Verify that each hyperlink displays the proper topic or performs the
correct action.</para>
</listitem><listitem><para><emphasis>Execution aliases have been defined for
execution links.</emphasis></para>
<para>Execution aliases are defined as resources in the application's application
defaults file. An execution alias associates a name with a shell command to
be executed. If you have used execution links in your help volume, coordinate
with the application developer to add these resources to the application defaults
file.</para>
</listitem><listitem><para><emphasis>All graphics are acceptable.</emphasis></para>
<para>Make sure that the graphics have been tested on various color, grayscale,
and monochrome displays.</para>
</listitem></orderedlist>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="HRDC.Inst.div.14">
<title>For Product Integrators</title>
<orderedlist><listitem><para><emphasis>The run-time file is installed.</emphasis></para>
</listitem><listitem><para><emphasis>All graphics are installed in the proper
locations.</emphasis></para>
<para>Each graphics file must be installed in the same relative position to
the <filename>.sdl</filename> file that it was in relative to the<filename>.sgm</filename> file when the DocBook software was run.</para>
</listitem><listitem><para><emphasis>The help volume is registered.</emphasis></para>
<para>The <command>dtappintegrate</command> script was run to create symbolic
links from the installation directory to the registration directory.</para>
</listitem><listitem><para><emphasis>A product family file is installed and
registered.</emphasis></para>
<para>The family file is installed with the other help files. When <command>dtappintegrate</command> is run, it creates a symbolic link for the family
file. Registering a family file for your help volume is optional, but if you
choose not to register a family file, your help volume will not be accessible
from the Front Panel Help Viewer.</para>
</listitem></orderedlist>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="HRDC.Inst.div.15">
<title>For Programmers</title>
<orderedlist><listitem><para><emphasis>The application sets the correct values
for these required resources:</emphasis></para>
<programlisting><symbol>App-class</symbol>*helpVolume: <symbol>volume</symbol>
<symbol>App-class</symbol>*helpOnHelpVolume: <symbol role="Variable">help-on-help-volume</symbol></programlisting>
<para>The <systemitem class="resource">helpVolume</systemitem> resource identifies
the help volume for your application. The <systemitem class="resource">helpOnHelpVolume</systemitem> resource identifies the help volume that contains the help on
using the help system.</para>
</listitem><listitem><para><emphasis>Execution aliases are included in the
application defaults file.</emphasis></para>
<para>An author defines execution aliases as application resources. An execution
alias associates a name with a shell command to be executed. If execution
links have been used in the help volume, check with the author to identify
the resources that need to be added.</para><?Pub Caret1>
</listitem><listitem><para><emphasis>The application sets the desired values
for the following optional resources:</emphasis></para>
<programlisting><symbol>App-class</symbol>*DtHelpDialogWidget*onHelpDialog*rows: <symbol>rows</symbol>
<symbol>App-class</symbol>*DtHelpDialogWidget*onHelpDialog*columns: <symbol role="Variable">columns</symbol>
<symbol>App-class</symbol>*DtHelpDialogWidget*definitionBox*rows: <symbol role="Variable">rows</symbol>
<symbol>App-class</symbol>*DtHelpDialogWidget*definitionBox*columns: <symbol role="Variable">columns</symbol>
</programlisting>
<para>The <systemitem class="resource">onHelpDialog</systemitem> resources
control the size of the quick help dialogs used to display Help on Help. The <systemitem class="resource">definitionBox</systemitem> resources control the size of
the quick help dialog used for definition links.</para>
</listitem><listitem><para><emphasis>The application uses either the default
font resources or defines font resources in the application's application-defaults
file.</emphasis></para>
<para>In most cases an application can rely on the default font resources.
However, when custom fonts are used, they must be defined in the application-
defaults file. Sample font schemes are provided in the <filename>/usr/dt/dthelp/fontschemes</filename> directory. See <xref role="ChapNumAndTitle" linkend="HRDC.Lang.mkr.1">,
for additional information about font schemes.</para>
</listitem></orderedlist>
</sect2>
</sect1>
</chapter>
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