Common Desktop Environment

This guide provides comprehensive instructions for authors and programmers on developing and integrating online help for Common Desktop Environment (CDE) applications.

For authors, the document details the use of the HelpTag markup language to create online help topics. This includes structuring help volumes with home topics, subtopics, entities, meta-information, and glossaries; formatting text; embedding graphics; and creating various hyperlinks (e.g., hypertext, definition, man page, application-defined, execution links). It outlines the authoring workflow from writing topics using shorthand or formal markup to processing them into run-time .sdl files with HelpTag software, and then viewing, testing, and organizing help into "help families" for the CDE Help Viewer. The guide also includes a detailed HelpTag markup reference and a summary of special characters and commands.

For programmers, it covers integrating the Help System into OSF/Motif applications using the DtHelp programming library. This involves creating and managing general and quick help dialog boxes, configuring applications to respond to diverse help requests (context-sensitive help, F1 key, help menus, item-specific help), and handling hyperlink events. It also provides guidance on preparing help files for installation and registration, including run-time files, graphics, and help family files.

The document further addresses internationalization, explaining native language support, character sets, multibyte character handling, locales, font schemes, message catalogs, and best practices for delivering online help to international audiences.