Generating a Browser Help Volume (dthelpgen)

The dthelpgen utility creates a special help volume that enables users to display help volumes registered on their system using the Front Panel Help Viewer. When a user initially clicks the Help Viewer control in the Front Panel, dthelpgen is run automatically. It locates help family files by searching the help search path directories (local or networked), and then creates a browser volume (browser.hv) in the user's HomeDirectory/.dt/help/$DTUSERSESSION directory. Once built, the volume is updated in response to any of these actions:

• Add, remove, or modify family files or help volumes

• Change the LANG environment variable

• Invoke the ReloadApps action

• Run dthelpgen manually in a terminal window

  The browser volume is displayed by clicking the Help Viewer control in the Front Panel. Or, you can manually run dthelpview and supply the browser volume name as shown in this command line:

  dthelpview -h browser.hv

Command Syntax

dthelpgen -dir [options]

Where:

-dir

Specifies the directory in which to place the browser volume and intermediate files. This is a required parameter.

Options

-generate

Specifies that a new browser help volume should be created even if the family files and help volumes on the system have not been modified.

-file basename

Specifies the name of the help volume and any intermediate files generated by dthelpgen. The default name is browser.hv.

-lang

Specifies which language directories to search for help families and help volumes. If the -lang option is set, it takes precedence over the current value of the LANG environment variable.

If you run dthelpgen while the browser volume is displayed in a help window, you should close the window, then reopen the browser volume.

See Also

• "Registering Your Application and Its Help"

• dthelpgen(1) man page