Help-Windows is a CICS-based online documentation solution that provides terminal operators with instant access to the information they need.
As online systems have become more and more sophisticated, the need for immediate access to procedural instructions has increased substantially. Terminal operators do not want to browse through manuals to find answers, they want answers at the touch of a key. Text writers and documentation personnel want to maintain their documentation on-line, where changes can easily be made. Programmers and other users do not have time to update printed manuals and insert pages, and management doesn't want to go through expensive re-prints to new procedural manuals.
Help-Windows overcomes these issues by providing users with 2 major functions:
Full on-line text maintenance: Complete manuals can be created and maintained on-line and sub-divided into system, documents, sections and subjects. Text is easily created and maintained with common paragraphs or entire subjects included from one document to another, with nested includes supported. Printing orders can be inserted in the text to control document appearance. Entire manuals or selected subjects can be printed or displayed on the terminal in list form. Automatic page numbering, section titles, running headers, table of contents and index creation are supported.
On-line text retrieval from application transactions: Selected sections of a manual, or standalone documents can be keyed to any application transaction in the on-line environment. A user-defined PF or PA key can be used to retrieve the associated text while operating the transaction. The associated text can be displayed either in full-screen mode or in a "window" on the screen, the position and size of which is defined by the text writer. Help windows can be referenced at the transaction level, the screen level or at the individual field level. The terminal operator uses the cursor to "point" to the data for which a help window is required. When finished with the help text, control returns to the application transaction at the touch of a key.
Help-Windows delivers features to simplify online text creation and maintenance, along with text retrieval from application transactions.
Full online access
Create, maintain, display and print entire manuals on-line, on the mainframe, and the power of four levels of hierarchical organization are supported.
Full screen help
Create and use help menus in full-screen mode, for quick access to various sections of help text.
Windowed help screens
Display help text in a window, of a pre-defined size, on the screen.
Word wrap
Wrap text to fit the window, or pan the text right or left in a window.
Full help text search
Search for key words or character strings in help text.
Attach help to user transactions
Access sub-sections of a manual, or stand-alone documents from any user transaction.
Attach help to transactions and fields
Associate help text with a transaction, a screen of a transaction, or a field of a screen.
Attach help to keywords and phrases
Associate help text with a word or phrase within other help text, creating multiple levels of help.
Cross-document level help
Define "cross-document" fields that appear on multiple screens or transactions, always referencing a common set of help text.
Cursor position help
Define help displays by invoking the user transaction screen, positioning the cursor as desired and pressing a "help definition" key.
Hot key help
Define a single "hot" key to be used as the help-retrieval key for all transactions, or define a different help key for individual transactions.
Nested help support
"Chain" sections of help text together in various ways to create multiple paths through the documentation.
Unlimited window layout
Create multi-window displays with overlap in any configuration desired. There is no limit to the number of windows on one screen.
Import text
Import text from other files into the help-windows text file. Use control statements to easily define and sub-define the imported document.
Export text
Export Help-Windows text to a sequential file to be processed by another system.