IHelpWindow::Settings

The IHelpWindow::Settings class provides initial information for the constructor of the class IHelpWindow. You can create a Settings object and call some or all of its member functions to set data before passing the object to the IHelpWindow constructor that accepts a Settings object.

IHelpWindow has individual functions to set all of the information that can be provided through a Settings object, with the exception of a tutorial name, the menu bar for the help window, and accelerator keys for the help window. If you need to customize your help support with these features, you must use this Settings class.

Windows Considerations

The tutorial name, the menu bar for the help window, and accelerator keys for the help window are not supported for native Windows help. Setting these values will have no effect for that style of IHelpWindow object.


IHelpWindow::Settings - Member Functions and Data by Group

Constructors & Destructor

You can construct and destruct objects of this class. The only way to construct objects of this class is with the default constructor.


[view class]
Settings
public:
Settings()

Create a settings object. This is the default constructor and accepts no parameters.

Supported Platforms

Windows OS/2 AIX
Yes Yes Yes


Help Information

These functions allow you to identify much of the help information that the user sees, including the help panels and a tutorial program.


[view class]
setHelpResLibrary
public:
Settings& setHelpResLibrary( const char* helpTableResLibrary )

Sets the resource dynamic link library (DLL) that contains the help table resources. The default location of the resource library is the executable file.

Use this function in conjunction with the function setHelpTable.

Supported Platforms

Windows OS/2 AIX
Yes Yes Ignored

AIX Considerations

This function has no effect in AIX.

OS/2 Considerations

If you want the LIBPATH setting used to search for the DLL, specify helpTableResLibrary without a path or extension.


[view class]
setHelpTable
public:
Settings& setHelpTable(unsigned long helpTable)

Sets the help table to use for satisfying user requests for contextual and general help. Entries in the help table associate a help panel with a given application frame window or control.

Supported Platforms

Windows OS/2 AIX
Yes Yes Yes


[view class]
setLibraries
public:
Settings& setLibraries(const char* helpLibraryNames)

Sets a library or list of libraries for IPF to reference when looking for help panels to display. If you specify more than one library name, separate them with a space character. This function deals with binary help files that have an .hlp extension.

Supported Platforms

Windows OS/2 AIX
Yes Yes Yes

OS/2 Considerations

If you want the HELP setting used to search for the help library files, specify the file names without a directory or path.

Windows Considerations

When using the native Windows help style for IHelpWindow, you should only pass a single file name on the setLibraries call. The file name should identify the help file that was compiled with the Windows help compiler from a Rich Text Format (RTF) source file.


[view class]
setTutorial
public:
Settings& setTutorial(const char* tutorial)

Sets the name of the application's tutorial. If you set a tutorial name, IPF provides a Tutorial choice on the menu bar of the help window. You process this menu choice by overriding the function IHelpHandler::showTutorial.

Supported Platforms

Windows OS/2 AIX
Ignored Yes Yes


[view class]
setUsingHelp
public:
Settings& setUsingHelp(unsigned long panelId)

Sets the help panel to use instead of the default Using Help panel provided by IPF. IPF displays this help panel when you call IHelpWindow::show, passing the IHelpWindow::using enumerator.

Supported Platforms

Windows OS/2 AIX
Yes Yes Yes

Windows Considerations

If you are using native Windows help (that is, you did not construct your IHelpWindow object with the IHelpWindow::ipfCompatible style), this function will change the help panel that is displayed when calling IHelpWindow::show with the HelpType of usingHelp.


Help Window Customization

You can customize the help information displayed by your application by changing aspects of the cover page window's appearance or behavior, including its menu bar, title bar text, and accelerator keys. The cover page window is the main help window within which all other IPF windows are displayed.


[view class]
setAccelerator
public:
Settings& setAccelerator(unsigned long acceleratorId)

Sets the accelerator keys that the help window will use instead of the default accelerator keys provided by IPF. If you provide a customized menu bar for the help window using the function setMenuBar, you may need to provide your own accelerator table to match it.

Supported Platforms

Windows OS/2 AIX
Yes Yes Ignored

AIX Considerations

This function has no effect in AIX.

OS/2 Considerations

OS/2 requires that if the accelerator table is customized, then you must also customize the menu bar via IHelpWindow::Settings::setMenuBar.

Windows Considerations

If you are using native Windows help (that is, you did not construct your IHelpWindow object with the IHelpWindow::ipfCompatible style), this function has no effect.


[view class]
setAccelResLibrary
public:
Settings& setAccelResLibrary( const char* menuAccelResLibrary )

Sets the resource dynamic link library (DLL) that contains the menu bar or accelerator table resources or both for the help window. The default location of the resource library is the executable file.

Use this function in conjunction with the functions setMenuBar and setAccelerator.

Supported Platforms

Windows OS/2 AIX
Yes Yes Ignored

AIX Considerations

This function has no effect in AIX.

OS/2 Considerations

If you want the LIBPATH setting used to search for the DLL, specify menuAccelResLibrary without a path or extension.

Windows Considerations

If you are using native Windows help (that is, you did not construct your IHelpWindow object with the IHelpWindow::ipfCompatible style), this function has no effect.


[view class]
setMenuBar
public:
Settings& setMenuBar(unsigned long menuBarId)

Sets the menu bar that the help window will use instead of the default menu bar provided by IPF. You may want to provide a customized menu bar to provide additional menu choices or for national language purposes.

Supported Platforms

Windows OS/2 AIX
Yes Yes Yes

OS/2 Considerations

OS/2 requires that if the menu bar is customized, then you must also customize the accelerator table via IHelpWindow::Settings::setAccelerator().

Windows Considerations

If you are using native Windows help (that is, you did not construct your IHelpWindow object with the IHelpWindow::ipfCompatible style), this function has no effect.


[view class]
setTitle

Sets the title bar text for the help window.


Overload 1
public:
Settings& setTitle(const IResourceId& titleId)

You specify the text as a resource ID in a string table.

Supported Platforms

Windows OS/2 AIX
Yes Yes Yes

Windows Considerations

If you are using native Windows help (that is, you did not construct your IHelpWindow object with the IHelpWindow::ipfCompatible style), this function has no effect.


Overload 2
public:
Settings& setTitle(const char* titleText)

You specify the text as a character string.

Supported Platforms

Windows OS/2 AIX
Yes Yes Yes

Windows Considerations

If you are using native Windows help (that is, you did not construct your IHelpWindow object with the IHelpWindow::ipfCompatible style), this function has no effect.


IHelpWindow::Settings - Inherited Member Functions and Data

Inherited Public Functions

Inherited Public Data

Inherited Protected Functions

Inherited Protected Data