<!-- $XConsortium: preface.sgm /main/12 1996/09/08 19:41:20 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. -->
<preface id="HRDC.Pref.div.1">
<title>Preface</title>
<para>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&trade; application.</para>
<sect1 id="HRDC.Pref.div.2">
<title>Who Should Use This Book</title>
<para>The audience for this book includes:</para>
<itemizedlist remap="Bullet1"><listitem><para>Authors who design, create,
and view online help information</para>
</listitem><listitem><para>Developers who want to create software applications
that provide a fully integrated help facility</para>
</listitem></itemizedlist>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="HRDC.Pref.div.3">
<title>How This Book Is Organized</title>
<para>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.</para>
<para>This book includes these chapters:</para>
<para>Part 1&mdash; Introduction</para>
<para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;1, &ldquo;Introducing the
Help System'--><xref role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.Intro.mkr.1"><emphasis
role="Lead-in">,</emphasis> provides an overview of authors' and developers'
collaborative role in producing online help.</para>
<para>Part 2&mdash; The Author's Job</para>
<para><literal><!--Literal closed to allow XRef:--></literal> <!--Original
XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;2, &ldquo;Organizing and Writing a Help Volume'--><xref
role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.OrgH.mkr.1"><emphasis role="Lead-in">
,</emphasis> describes the components that make up a help volume.</para>
<para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;3, &ldquo;Writing a Help
Topic'--><xref role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.WrTop.mkr.1"><emphasis
role="Lead-in">,</emphasis> 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.</para>
<para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;4, &ldquo;Processing and
Displaying a Help Volume'--><xref role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.CrHV.mkr.1"><emphasis
role="Lead-in">,</emphasis> describes how to process a marked-up file (or
files) to generate a single run-time file for online viewing.</para>
<para>The <citetitle>Guide to the DocBook DTD</citetitle><?Pub Caret> lists
in alphabetical order the DocBook markup language elements, and describes
their use.</para>
<para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;6, &ldquo;Summary of Special
Character Entities'--><xref role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.ChEnt.mkr.1"><emphasis
role="Lead-in">,</emphasis> provides a list of characters and associated entity
names that can be used to insert special characters into help topic text.
</para>
<para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;7, &ldquo;Command Summary'--><xref
role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.CmdS.mkr.1"><emphasis role="Lead-in">
,</emphasis> summarizes how to process and view a help volume by entering
commands in a terminal emulator window.</para>
<para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;8, &ldquo;Reading the DocBook
Document Type Definition'--><xref role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.Sgml.mkr.1"><emphasis
role="Lead-in">,</emphasis> describes the DocBook DTD and how to use it to
create fully compliant Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) help files.
</para>
<para>Part 3&mdash; The Programmer's Job</para>
<para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;9, &ldquo;Creating and Managing
Help Dialog Boxes'--><xref role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.CrDia.mkr.1"><emphasis
role="Lead-in">,</emphasis> introduces the Help Dialog widgets and explains
how to use them.</para>
<para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;10, &ldquo;Responding to
Help Requests'--><xref role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.HReq.mkr.1"><emphasis
role="Lead-in"></emphasis>, explains how an application provides entry points
to access different types of help.</para>
<para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;11, &ldquo;Handling Events
in Help Dialogs'--><xref role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.DiaEv.mkr.1"><emphasis
role="Lead-in">,</emphasis>shows how an application can use a callback structure
to handle hyperlink events.</para>
<para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;12, &ldquo;Providing Help
on Help'--><xref role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.H4Hlp.mkr.1"><emphasis
role="Lead-in">,</emphasis> describes how an application can provide a help
module that tells users how to use the Help System.</para>
<para><literal><!--Literal closed to allow XRef:--></literal> <!--Original
XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;13, &ldquo;Preparing an Installation Package'--><xref
role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.Inst.mkr.1"><emphasis role="Lead-in">
,</emphasis> covers what to include in an installation package to supply
online help with an application.</para>
<para>Part 4&mdash; Internationalization</para>
<para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;14, &ldquo;Native Language
Support'--><xref role="ChapNumAndTitleLead-in" linkend="HRDC.Lang.mkr.1"><emphasis
role="Lead-in">,</emphasis> identifies language-dependent files used by the
Help System.</para>
<para><emphasis role="Lead-in">Glossary</emphasis> is a list of words and
phrases found in this book and their definitions.</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="HRDC.Pref.div.4">
<title>Related Books</title>
<para>Related Common Desktop Environment books that you may find helpful are:
</para>
<itemizedlist remap="Bullet1"><listitem><para><citetitle>Advanced User's and
System Administrator's Guide</citetitle></para>
</listitem><listitem><para><citetitle>Internationalization Programmer's Guide</citetitle></para>
</listitem><listitem><para><citetitle>Style Guide and Certification Checklist</citetitle></para>
</listitem><listitem><para><citetitle>User's Guide</citetitle></para>
</listitem><listitem><para><citetitle>Guide to the DocBook DTD</citetitle></para>
</listitem></itemizedlist>
<para>For a technical description of Standard Generalized Markup Language
(SGML), refer to:</para>
<itemizedlist remap="Bullet1"><listitem><para><citetitle>The SGML Handbook</citetitle> by Charles F. Goldfarb, Oxford University Press (ISBN 0-19-853737-9).
</para>
</listitem></itemizedlist>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="HRDC.Pref.div.5">
<title>What Typographic Changes and Symbols Mean</title>
<para>The following table describes the type changes and symbols used in this
book.</para>
<table id="HRDC.Pref.tbl.1" frame="Topbot">
<title>Typographic Conventions</title>
<tgroup cols="3" colsep="0" rowsep="0">
<colspec colwidth="1.21in">
<colspec colwidth="1.77in">
<colspec colwidth="3.04in">
<thead>
<row><entry align="left" valign="bottom"><para><literal>Typeface or Symbol</literal></para></entry><entry align="left" valign="bottom"><para><literal>Meaning</literal></para></entry><entry align="left" valign="bottom"><para><literal>Example</literal></para></entry></row></thead>
<tbody>
<row>
<entry align="left" valign="top"><para><filename>AaBbCc123</filename></para></entry>
<entry align="left" valign="top"><para>The names of commands, files, and
directories; on-screen computer output</para></entry>
<entry align="left" valign="top"><para>Edit your <filename>.login</filename>
file.</para><para>Use <command>ls -a</command> to list all files.</para><para><command>system%</command> <filename moreinfo="RefEntry">You have mail.</filename></para></entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry align="left" valign="top"><para><emphasis>AaBbCc123</emphasis></para></entry>
<entry align="left" valign="top"><para>Command-line placeholder:</para><para>replace with a real name or value</para></entry>
<entry align="left" valign="top"><para>To delete a file, type <command>rm</command> <userinput> </userinput><symbol role="Variable">filename.</symbol></para></entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry align="left" valign="top"><para><emphasis>AaBbCc123</emphasis></para></entry>
<entry align="left" valign="top"><para>Book titles, new words or terms, or
words to be emphasized</para></entry>
<entry align="left" valign="top"><para>Read Chapter 6 in the <emphasis>User's
Guide</emphasis><userinput>. </userinput>These are called <symbol role="Variable">class</symbol> options.You <emphasis>must</emphasis> be root to do this.</para></entry>
</row></tbody></tgroup></table>
</sect1>
</preface>
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