Sybernet / Supplied Procedures Reference
Release 3.00
Oct 14, 2002

HTTP.SP_HTML_HELPTEXT

This application program allows you to create documentation or help text for your application program. What follows is the documentation for SP_HTML_HELPTEXT which has documented itself. If only it were this simple:

Welcome to Help

Adding new entries

select new from the key drop-down box.
wait for the form to refresh
Enter your new key in the space provided
Fill in the Help Text
Click on Save

Updating entries

Select the page you want to enter from the key drop-down box.
wait for the form to refresh
Change any information you desire
Click on Save

The Helptext Table

The table is called helptext and contains only three columns:

ROW_ID varchar(30) not null
ROW_ID is the key name that you will use to retrieve text; for example, the ROW_ID of this page is called "Welcome."
TIMESTAMP datetime null
TIMESTAMP represents the date and time that this row was inserted or updated. It allows nulls because the trigger that fires uses a NULL value to determine which row is being updated and hence deleted by your insert.
DESCRIPTION text not null
This is the infamous blob.

Linking Helptext to the Menubar

The menubar in this procedure also points to this page. Click "Instructions" and this page is displayed. The code to do so is as follows:

    http.sp_html_menubar
    (
        PROCNAME   => 'http.sp_html_helptext_show'
    ,   SEARCH     => 'Welcome'
    ,   STATUS     => 'Click here for information on how to use Help!'
    )   ;

If you prefer to send your help text to a new window, this can be arranged as well:

    exec http..sp_html_menubar

        PROCNAME   => 'http.dbo.sp_html_helptext_show'
    ,   SEARCH     => 'Welcome'
    ,   STATUS     => 'Click here for information on how to use Help!'
    ,   TARGET     => 'Instructions'
    ,   WIDTH      => '300'
    ,   HEIGHT     => '400'
    ,   RESIZABLE  => 'yes'
    ,   SCROLLBARS => 'yes'
    )   ;