Common Desktop Environment: Help System Author's and Programmer's Guide

Product Preparation Checklists

The following checklists should help you verify that you've prepared your product correctly. Of course, there's no substitute for testing your product by using it as a user will.

For Authors

A final version of the runtime help file was created.

Here are the recommended commands for creating the run-time file:
```
dthelptag -clean volume
 dthelptag volume nomemo onerror=stop
```
The -clean option removes files from any previous dthelptag command, the nomemo option ensures that writer's memos are not displayed, and the onerror=stop option stops processing if any parser errors occur. You should not distribute a help volume that has any parser errors.

All hyperlinks have been tested.

Each hyperlink displays the proper topic or performs the correct action.

Execution aliases have been defined for execution links.

Execution aliases are defined as resources in the application's application defaults file. An execution alias associates a name with a shell command to be executed. If you have used execution links in your help volume, coordinate with the application developer to add these resources to the application defaults file. For more information, refer to "Execution Aliases".

All graphics are acceptable.

The graphics have been tested on various color, grayscale, and monochrome displays.

For Product Integrators

The runtime file is installed.

All graphics are installed in the proper locations.

Each graphics file must be installed in the same relative position to the .sdl file that it was in relative to the.htg file when the HelpTag software was run.

The help volume is registered.

The dtappintegrate script was run to create symbolic links from the installation directory to the registration directory.

A product family file is installed and registered.

The family file is installed with the other help files. When dtappintegrate is run, it creates a symbolic link for the family file. Registering a family file for your help volume is optional. However, if you choose not to register a family file, your help volume will not be accessible from the Front Panel Help Viewer.

For Programmers

The application sets the correct values for these required resources:
```
App-class*helpVolume:        volume
 App-class*helpOnHelpVolume:  help-on-help-volume 
```
The helpVolume resource identifies the help volume for your application.The helpOnHelpVolume identifies the help volume that contains the help on using the help system.

Execution aliases are included in the application defaults file.

An author defines execution aliases as application resources. An execution alias associates a name with a shell command to be executed. If execution links have been used in the help volume, check with the author to identify the resources that need to be added. For more information, refer to "Execution Aliases".

The application sets the desired values for the following optional resources:
```
App-class*DtHelpDialogWidget*onHelpDialog*rows:     rows
 App-class*DtHelpDialogWidget*onHelpDialog*columns:  columns
 App-class*DtHelpDialogWidget*definitionBox*rows:    rows
 App-class*DtHelpDialogWidget*definitionBox*columns: columns 
```
The onHelpDialog resources control the size of the quick help dialogs used to display Help on Help. The definitionBox resources control the size of the quick help dialog used for definition links.

The application uses either the default font resources or defines font resources in the application's application-defaults file.

In most cases an application can rely on the default font resources. However, when custom fonts are used, they must be defined in the application-defaults file. Sample font schemes are provided in the /usr/dt/dthelp/fontschemes directory. See Chapter 14, Native Language Support for additional information about font schemes.