4GL Help files

Hi, I4GL 7.20.UD8 Is it possible to define "local" help files? I have a module containing a function for which I want to create a help file, easy enough. However, this module can be compiled into several different programs each of which has its own help file. Now once my new function is called, the help file changes globally and the calling programs help commands now read the wrong file. I can issue a new OPTIONS HELP FILE after calling the function, but this is a poor solution. Any suggestions? Is there something blindingly obvious I'm missing here! -- --------------------------------------- Tony Flaherty aef@mfs.misys.co.uk Analyst Programmer Misys Financial Systems All statements and opinions are my own, Misys don't pay me enough to have opinions on their behalf .

My solution has always been to ignore the Informix help file mechanism and use my own HELP functions which draw their text from a set of database tables instead. The basic table structure is as follows and allows for different levels of help and for different help in different modules and applications. I have two basic levels of help screen/app. level and field level though there is no reason these could not have been combined into one pair of tables I use separate tables: Screen/Application Level help tables: screenhelp_hdr ---------------- screenhelp_id serial(0) app_id char 12 screen_id char 12 help_title char 60 screenhelp_dtl --------------- screenhelp_id integer line_no smallint line char 70 Field Level help tables: fieldhelp_hdr --------------- fieldhelp_id serial(0) app_id char 12 screen_id char 12 field_id char 12 help_title char 60 fieldhelp_dtl --------------- fieldhelp_id integer line_no smallint line char 70 Then the screen-level help function takes an app_id and screen_id as arguments and the field level function adds a third parameter of field_id. Very neat, very portable, and all you need is to write a generic help screen pop-up function to support the scrolling help text that will be returned from the tables. Art S. Kagel Tony Flaherty wrote: > Hi, > > I4GL 7.20.UD8 > > Is it possible to define "local" help files? > > I have a module containing a function for which I want to create a help > file, easy enough. However, this module can be compiled into several > different programs each of which has its own help file. Now once my new > function is called, the help file changes globally and the calling programs > help commands now read the wrong file. > > I can issue a new OPTIONS HELP FILE after calling the function, but this is > a poor solution. Any suggestions? Is there something blindingly obvious > I'm missing here! > > -- > --------------------------------------- > Tony Flaherty aef@mfs.misys.co.uk > Analyst Programmer > Misys Financial Systems > All statements and opinions are my own, > Misys don't pay me enough to have opinions > on their behalf > > .