User Interfaces to the Help System

In an ObjectPak application, the user can invoke the help system three different ways: 1) by pressing the <F1> key while the mouse pointer is over a widget; 2) by clicking on the Help button in a dialog; or 3) by selecting an item from the Help menu.

The <F1> key is a standard OSF/Motif method of invoking help. ObjectPak applications provide an additional layer of interpretation to allow you to integrate this method of invoking help with the other methods provided by ObjectPak. Rather than installing XmNhelpCallback functions on widgets, you should use ObjectPak's programmatic interface to the help libraries as described in "ViewKit's Programmatic Interface to a Help Library" .

ViewKit ObjectPak dialogs also allow you to include a Help button as described in "Posting Dialogs" . The Help menu, implemented by the VkHelpPane class, also allows the user to invoke the help system. "ViewKit's Programmatic Interface to a Help Library" describes how to link these interfaces to a help system.