HELP

Accesses the help subsystem (Native Mode)

Syntax

Direct access:

HELP [{ udcname commandname [{ keyword ,ALL }] commandfilename errormessage programfilename function name variable name SUMMARY CLASS HELPSTUDY EXPRESSIONS| VARIABLES | OPERATORS | FUNCTIONS }]

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 cannot 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.

function name

Any CI evaluator function, eg: FINFO

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.

variable name

Any CI predefined variable, eg: HPLASTJOB

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.
EXPRESSIONS: A description of CI expresssions
FUNCTIONS: A list of all CI evaluator functions
VARIABLES: A list of all CI predefined variables
OPERATORS: A list of expression operators, like +, -, etc.
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, variable, expression, function or other item that you want at the greater-than (>) prompt. For example:

 :HELP
 >FINFO
 
 Syntax:   FINFO(filename, option)
 
 Defn:    A CI evaluator function that returns information about
       the specified file.
 Type:    String, integer, or Boolean depending upon option.
 Example:  FINFO('x.pub',"EXISTS")
 Result:   TRUE
 Example:  FINFO('jeff',"eof")
 Result:   71495
 
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
(24/225) Continue?

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.

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.

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 resume.

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?

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 (as shown in the sample below) the HELP command will suppress the listing of this UDC, and displays the text for the built-in command LISTF instead.

 listf
 option NOHELP
 showme
 *****

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

HELP

Technical documentation

» Table of Contents

» Index

Syntax

Parameters

Operation Notes

Use

Examples

Related Information