HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
HELP
Accesses the help subsystem (Native Mode)
Syntax
Direct access:
[{udcname }]
[{commandname[{keyword}]}]
[{ [{,ALL }]}]
[{ }]
HELP [{commandfilename }]
[{errormessage }]
[{programfilename }]
[{SUMMARY }]
[{CLASS }]
[{HELPSTUDY }]
Interactive (subsystem) access:
>commandname {space or comma} [{keyword}]
[{,ALL }]
HELPMENU
SUMMARY
CLASS
HELP
HELPSTUDY
Parameters
<omitted> If you specify the HELP command with no parameters,
you enter the help facility subsystem in
interactive mode. To return to the CI, enter E or
EXIT. Refer to "Operation Notes."
udcname Any existing UDC. To display all UDCs within a UDC
file, specify the PRINT command. Refer to
commandname.
commandname Any MPE/iX command. MPE/iX displays the command
name and syntax. In addition, a list of keywords
for that command is displayed.
The HELP command also provides help on UDCs,
command files, or program files. The search order
is UDCs, built-in commands (MPE/iX), command files,
and then program files. The search order for UDC's
is user level, account level, and system level.
The search order for command files and program
files is determined by the contents of the CI
variable HPPATH. If the user's HPPATH does not
contain the name of the current group, the user can
print a command file from the current group, but
not get help information.
For UDCs and command files, help displays the text
of the user command, unless the file contains the
NOHELP option. In those cases, the display is
suppressed. In the case of program files, help
displays a header identifying it as a program file
and the fully qualified file name of the program
file.
keyword One of the keywords described under the command
parameter. All commands have the following
keywords:
PARMS PARMS is short for parameter.
Lists all parameters of the
specified command.
OPERATION Describes the use of the
specified command.
EXAMPLE Displays an example showing
usage of the specified
command.
ALL Displays all parameters,
operation information, and an
example of the command.
command- filename Any existing command file. Refer to commandname,
"Operation Notes," and "Examples."
errrormessage Any MPE/iX error message. The keywords are:
CIERRnn
program- filename Any existing program file.
Refer to commandname,
"Operation Notes," and
"Examples."
SUMMARY A brief summary of changes
found in MPE/iX, including a
quick overview of the
operation of the help
facility.
CLASS A list of MPE/iX commands by
functional class.
HELPSTUDY A beginner's guide designed
to familiarize novice users
with the fundamentals of
MPE/iX commands and command
syntax.
HELP The help facility entry on
the HELP command.
ALL Displays the entire table of
contents and the contents of
each keyword for the HELP
command.
EXIT Exits the help subsystem.
Help for the CI EXIT command
is not available in
interactive mode. To get
help for the CI EXIT command,
specify the direct mode in
the form HELP EXIT ALL.
Operation Notes
You use the HELP command to display information about MPE/iX in one of
two ways: by omitting command parameters to enter the Help subsystem or
by getting information about a single command from the colon prompt.
Using HELP as a subsystem
Enter the HELP command without specifying any parameters to invoke HELP
as a subsystem. You will see the first screen of Help, called HELPMENU.
It lists the choices available to you so that you can review the
operation of Help and get a brief overview of the changes found in the
MPE/iX operating system.
Once you are in the Help Subsystem, you display information by entering
the name of the command, UDC, error message, or other item that you want
at the greater-than (>) prompt. For example:
:HELP
>ABORT
ABORT
Aborts current program or operation.
Syntax
ABORT
KEYWORDS: PARMS,OPERATION,EXAMPLE
>
Do not precede the command or item name with HELP, or you will get an
error message. For example:
:HELP
>HELP FINFO
^
Can't find this keyword.
However, if you simply enter FINFO at the > prompt, you will see this:
:HELP
>FINFO
The following table summarizes the options of the FINFO function.
The description includes the option number, one or more aliases,
the data type, and a brief description of the option.
Num Alias Data Type Option Description
--- ----- --------- ------------------
0 EXIST Boolean Existence of file
1 FILENAME ONLY String File name
FNAME
FULL FILENAME
FULLFNAME
FULLY QUALIFIED FILENAME
2 GROUP String Group name
GROUPNAME
3 ACCOUNT String Account name
ACCT
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To exit the Help Subsystem, enter E or EXIT' or press Break. To stop the
display and return to a system prompt, enter CTRL Y. temporarily stops
the display, enter CTRL S. Use CTRL Q to resum.
To display information up to the next keyword or command, press Return.
HELP provides a page break for every 23 lines of output and pressing
return allows you to continue. For example, when you enter STORE with
the HELP command, MPE/iX displays STORE syntax, the keyword list (PARMS,
OPERATION, EXAMPLE) and provides a prompt (>). Pressing Return again
causes MPE/iX to display all parameter information for the STORE command.
Pressing Return again at the next prompt causes MPE/iX to display all
OPERATION information for the STORE command. (This is similar to turning
the pages of a manual.)
Using HELP in direct mode
Enter HELP followed by the name of the command, UDC, error number or
other keyword to display the information you need without entering the
Help Subsystem. Entering any command name produces the syntax for that
command and a list of the keywords. Entering a keyword such as PARMS
produces a listing of all the items for that keyword.
For example:
HELP ABORT
ABORT
Aborts current program or operation.
Syntax
ABORT
KEYWORDS: PARMS,OPERATION,EXAMPLE
:
Notice that in direct mode, MPE/iX displays the CI prompt (:) once it
has displayed the information you wanted.
Use
This command may be issued from a session, job, program, or in BREAK.
Pressing Break aborts the execution of this command.
Examples
To see the parameters for the LISTFILE command, enter:
:HELP LISTFILE PARMS
To see examples of the STORE command, enter:
:HELP STORE EXAMPLES
To see the same information from within the Help subsystem, enter:
:HELP
>STORE EXAMPLES
To see a list of predefined variables in MPE/iX, at the colon prompt
enter:
:HELP VARIABLES
Several global variables have been pre-assigned by the command
interpreter. They may be used anywhere you would use your own
variables.
All global variables are listed in the table below. To get help
with a specific variable, at the colon (:) prompt type "HELP"
followed by the variable name, for example, "HELP HPCIDEPTH".
At the Help facility prompt (>), simply type the variable name,
for example, "HPCIDEPTH".
Global Variable Types
=================================================================
R READ ONLY variable (cannot be modified).
W READ/WRITE variable (can be modified).
JCW A standard MPE/iX JCW.
I Integer format.
B Boolean format (TRUE/FALSE).
(24/225) Continue?
To see an explanation of the variable HPPATH from within the Help
subsystem, at the > prompt enter:
>HPPATH
HPPATH W S search path for command "!hpgroup,pub,
files and implied RUN pub.sys"
>
If LINKALL is a command file, HELP displays the file as follows:
HELP LINKALL.TEST.UI
User-Defined Command File:LINKALL.TEST.UI
Parm streamflag=...
....
If VERSION.PUB.SYS is a program file, HELP displays:
HELP VERSION.PUB
program file: VERSION.PUB.SYS
If the UDC LISTF contains the NOHELP option,
listf
option NOHELP
showme
*****
The HELP command suppresses the listing of this UDC, and displays the
text for the built-in command LISTF instead.
If the UDC MYUDC (which is not the name of any MPE/iX command) contains
the NOHELP option, then the Help facility displays an error.
Related Information
Commands None
Manuals System Startup, Configuration, and Shutdown Reference
Manual (32650-90042)